(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(APMedia)
Low-light reels, horrendous turnovers, and straight laughable possessions have subjected Jordan Poole to the 2022 Russell Westbrook treatment in the eyes of the media. After the inevitable trade this offseason in the aftermath of the Draymond Green incident, fans started to wonder if this was Jordan Poole’s chance to become the focal star of a team. Being traded to the Washington Wizards, a team that has struggled to say the least in the last few years, all the pieces were in place for Poole to take over. But that never took place.
Before February 22, 2024, Jordan’s season was off to a disappointing start. While averaging 15.6 PPG on 40% FG and 30% from beyond the arc, he managed to be a total -352 in +/- stats. Nothing about that screams “yeah, let’s give this guy the keys to the city!”. While the Wizards have been bad as a whole this season and the +/- stats may be skewed, the eye test supports the notion of horrible play. The majority of the time it looked like Poole either didn’t want to play or forgot how to altogether, and the Wizards have been stuck in dead last in the Eastern Conference. This could be because of the team's bad roster construction, or it could be the basketball gods punishing Kuzma for his “at this point it’s like don’t be that team” comments towards the Pistons during their downward spiral. Either way, Jordan’s play definitely had an impact.
Luckily, there has been a dramatic shift since February 22, 2024. More for Jordan, less for the Wizards, as they are 0-7 in that stretch (they have not won a game since January). The team made the decision to move Poole to the bench, where he has since thrived, as that was his role in the Warriors' 2022 championship run. Since becoming the sixth man, he is averaging 23.4 PPG while shooting 42.8% FG and 36.6% from three. The +/- is still pretty bad, but we will just assume that’s because the Wizards are in a complete crater currently as a team. His most recent performance against the Utah Jazz was very impressive, to say the least. In a losing effort, Poole had 32 PTS on 61% shooting and shot 60% from downtown. Despite the new role, he is playing relatively the same amount of minutes.
So why is he playing better if the only thing that changed is when he comes into the game? There could be a variety of answers.
The first could be a release of pressure. This could mean in terms of the Wizards' season (there isn’t a whole lot to play for) or it could be for Jordan Poole himself. Not having to worry about starting and being so in his own head could be very beneficial for Jordan. Playing with the second unit of teams, while being on a squad whose season has been over for a while, may allow him to play more freely. The mistakes aren’t as bad when you aren’t playing with your team’s best players night in and night out.
Secondly, it could just be that he is, in fact, playing against teams' second stringers. There are historically many examples of players who could start but come off the bench to dominate second units, providing a spark to the whole team (Lou Williams). This ties in with there being less pressure, as he is able to go out there and just do his thing against inferior defensive talent. Think of it as a varsity player practicing with JV in some ways.
Lastly, it could simply be that the move to the bench has lit a fire under Poole. It is no secret that most NBA players (especially the high-paid ones) believe they are the best of the best and should start. After being what some consider demoted, we may just be seeing the best of Jordan trying to prove he still can start with the best of them. We saw this very recently with Klay Thompson and his scoring outburst in his first game off the bench in over a decade.
Whatever it is, Wizards fans hope it continues. You never want to see a young player waste their potential, especially when they have already received their bag. The team is in an obvious rebuild, and Jordan Poole fully reaching his potential would be a tremendous help to their future. Time will tell, but for now, just enjoy the Poole Party.
Comentarios