Author of a remarkable performance on the New York boards at the Garden, with 41 points including 29 in the first half, Jordan Poole announced his arrival at the Wizards.
Long a (turbulent) little brother of the family at the Warriors, taken under his wing by Draymond Green who will ultimately be the cause of his departure after their highly publicized clash a year ago, Poole arrives with a completely different outfit in the federal capital .
“I’ve been preparing for this my whole life, so to speak.”
The team’s biggest salary, with Kyle Kuzma (nearly two million), the guard who passed through Michigan will have to assume a new status for him. That of the leader.
“I’ve been preparing for this my whole life, so to speak.”explains Poole in The Ringer. “I come from a franchise where there was a lot of everything all the time: media, expectations, rumors, 24/7 at the highest level. I passed this class. For four years I took this course and learned a lot. Now I have a new course, new classes, I’m enrolled in a new school. But I feel ready. »
An offensive genius who has clearly learned from his extended stay with Stephen Curry in terms of the difficulty of the shots attempted, Poole also wants to bring his experience to a new environment. Where the Wizards are just starting to learn how to win games…
“It’s going to take a little time but that’s normal when you want to build something big,” confirms Poole. “But it’s cool to be able to be there at the beginning.” We have a chance to achieve something unique. As a competitor, we like challenges like that. »
“It’s probably the first time in my life that I’m going to play without pressure”
Considered by Kevin Garnett and other League observers as a candidate for Best Progression of the coming season, like James Harden when the latter moved from the Thunder to the Rockets, Poole in any case has free rein to express his talent offensive. While learning to become a little more than just a scorer; in creation, in the locker room, by setting an example.
“I just want to be the best I can be. I took a lot of that from KD. Very early, probably from middle school. I’m not comparing myself to him, his potential is different. But I want to optimize my potential, reach my “max”. Can I play harder? Learn again? Progress? Stand out from the crowd ? These are the questions I ask myself. Through my work, my seriousness, my curiosity, my game will continue to evolve. »
At 20 points and 4 assists on average coming off the bench, capped at 30 minutes of play last year, Poole can hope to do even better and why not aim for the All-Star Game if the Wizards manage to keep the pace in the peloton of the Eastern Conference.
In any case, the 24-year-old guard had already reached a milestone in his career by signing his massive contract at $140 million last summer. Now far from the Warriors where he was trained, he will be able to approach the competition with a new perspective.
“I play at the highest level in the sport I love, my family is safe, my legacy is assured with a ring…”, he concludes. “It’s probably the first time in my life that I’m going to play without pressure. That’s how I see it. I have a good opportunity in front of me, a very good opportunity in fact! »
| Jordan Poole | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | GOS | 57 | 22 | 33.3 | 27.9 | 79.8 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 8.8 |
| 2020-21 | GOS | 51 | 19 | 43.2 | 35.1 | 88.2 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 12.0 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 76 | 30 | 44.8 | 36.4 | 92.5 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 82 | 30 | 43.0 | 33.6 | 87.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 20.4 |
| Total | 266 | 26 | 42.1 | 33.9 | 87.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 15.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
