Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole has been brutal the entire 2022-2023 season. Yet somehow he has found a way to become even worse in the playoffs.
So it is time for the Warriors make what seems like a difficult decision, and it is absolutely necessary at this point. Poole belongs on the inactive list and should not come off it until the series is over which is as little as one game to at most three.
Poole plays too out of control which leads to turnovers, bad shots, and he is not able to make up for it as he is well below average defensively. Hence, why Gary Payton II started game four as he was the primary defender on D’Angelo Russell.
Also, Poole’s body language when he got subbed out late in the second quarter was bad. Then in the third quarter with the Warriors trying to stave off a run by the Los Angeles Lakers, he attempts an inexplicable three which gets blocked.
Even worse for him is that he only played 10 minutes. Poole took four shots and did not score a point.
Overall this postseason he is shooting 34.2 percent from the field, 27.7 percent from three, and 75.8 percent from the free throw line. In terms of points per game he is averaging 10.5 points per game, which is nearly 10 fewer points than his regular season average of 20.4.
Those playoff struggles have followed him from the Warriors Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics. Until that point during the 2021-2022 playoffs, Poole was shooting lights out at 53.1 percent, 39.3 percent from three, and 91.7 percent from the free throw line while averaging 18.4 points per game.
Boston clamped down on Poole who finished the Finals shooting 43.5 percent, 38.5 percent from three, and 90.9 percent from the free throw line. His points per game average dropped to 13.2.
Still for Poole the best thing for him and his career is to have him sit out these game. Which hopefully lights a fire underneath him for the next series or the 2023-2024 season.