Warriors guard Jordan Poole learning to adapt as NBA defenses key on him
The next step in Poole's evolution as a shooter is learning how to adjust to how teams are putting an added focus on him.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jordan Poole commanded the attention of the league during his breakout season in 2021-22. But now he’s learning how to adapt to the league’s adjustments.
Opponents have dialed up the attention they’re giving Poole this season. No longer is the 23-year-old guard a mere mention in pre-game conversations. Poole earned himself a spot on teams’ scouting reports and containing him is a point of emphasis.
The Warriors have noticed how teams are guarding Poole differently this time around.
“When he has the ball, the entire defense is loading up,” Draymond Green said. “That’s a compliment to him. That shows the fear that defenses have for you.
The next step in Poole’s development as a scorer is learning how to adjust to the team’s added pressure on him. He got a taste of that heightened attentiveness by opponents during last season’s playoff run.
Poole opened the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets averaging 28.7 points on an insane 66.7% shooting from the field and 59.1% from deep as he started in place of Stephen Curry who was working his way back from a foot injury that sidelined him for the last 11 games of the regular season. But Poole became a focal point of the Nuggets’ defensive game plan, and they made his life difficult in Games 4 and 5, limiting him to a combined 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting in the final two games of the series.
Poole bounced back and was a vital part in the Warriors’ run to the title. But now, after teams had an offseason to study his tendencies, Poole is once again having to evolve.
Luckily for him, Poole is playing alongside Curry, one of the best to have done it and continue to do it.
Curry remembers what it was like to be in Poole’s shoes as a young yet emerging scoring threat. He specifically recalled the Los Angeles Clippers having guys block driving lanes on pick-and-rolls.
“That was the evolution of just being able to get off of it and move off the ball a little bit and knowing that you’re not just going to come off and take guys a part on the first option of pick-and-roll because they’re waiting for it,” Curry said.
It takes time and reps to get to where Curry is now — able to adapt to any defense and find favorable looks. It also takes patience, he said.
“We keep saying letting the game come to you is the biggest thing because you can’t fight that pressure, that attention,” Curry said. “There’s too many good athletes in this league on the defensive end and so the more that you can just keep the game as simple as possible and trust that even if you’re getting extra attention you can get off of it, get it back and still get your shot attempts, still get some looks. You know that the game will come around in your favor. But it’s just about getting the reps to understand what that really feels like.”
The Warriors remain uber confident that Poole will figure it out. He seemed to find some rhythm in Friday night’s close win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Poole used his quickness to create space and make the defense more penetrable. He also benefited from the return of Donte DiVincenzo, who missed eight games with a hamstring strain. DiVincenzo gives the second unit another ball handler and allows Poole to play off the ball more.
Poole rebounded from a disappointing two-points-on-four-shots outing in Monday’s win over the Kings, scoring 18 points on 13 shots Friday night.
Coach Steve Kerr thought Friday’s success was a promising sign for Poole.
“You knew it was going to happen,” he said. “Jordan is a proven player, he helped us win a title last year. He’s done this now plenty of times. So it was just a matter of time for him to break out.”