Warriors’ Jordan Poole to step up in Steph Curry’s absence

Impersonating Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry is an impossible task for anyone to accomplish. The Warriors, however, will look to shooting guard Jordan Poole with the team’s two-time NBA MVP out for the foreseeable future after he sustained a left shoulder subluxation during Wednesday night’s game in which the team lost to the Indiana Pacers.

Last season, Poole, 23, attracted much attention when Curry was injured for the final two weeks of the regular season. When Curry was out of the lineup, Poole was able to carry the offensive load and showed confidence while doing so. Curry is looking for nothing more than to see that kind of performance from his teammate.

“Be Jordan Poole, be himself,” Curry said Friday as he answered the question of exactly what Jordan Poole should do to stay in the game.

“That stretch that he had, he played efficient basketball. He was very in control of what he was doing.”

Poole’s record

In the final 13 games of the Warriors’ 2021-22 season, including the game that ended Curry’s regular season, Poole averaged 26.0 points over the course of those games. While he was shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point range during that stretch, Poole was also dishing out 5.9 assists and grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game. With 56 3-pointers made at a 44.4 percent clip from long range in March, he led the NBA in 3-pointers with 56 treys made over the course of the month.

Additionally, Poole started the Warriors’ first five playoff games in place of Curry since Curry was still working his way into shape while sitting on the bench in the first round of the playoffs. During his playoff debut, he scored a total of 30 points and he followed that up with 29 points in Game 2 and 27 points in Game 3.

It is no wonder that the Warriors offered Poole a contract extension worth up to $140 million this offseason, given his impressive performances late in the regular season, as well as his many impressive playoff performances. It was once thought that Poole would be a rough draft pick, but he has developed into an important franchise cornerstone. However, the season hasn’t started exactly the way he planned.

Despite the Warriors’ struggles to a 14-15 record and a 2-13 record on the road, Poole has taken a step back in efficiency and consistency from last year’s performance. Currently, he averages 4.6 assists per game, a career-high for him.

However, despite his emergence as the Warriors’ Sixth Man, Poole’s 17.9 points are down from his 18.5 points a season ago. His shooting numbers are at their lowest since his disastrous rookie season. Last season, Poole shot 44.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.

“The biggest thing with Jordan that we’ve been trying to work on with him is just to slow down,”

Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors’ head coach

“He just gets in a rush. He has so much ability, I think sometimes it’s the guys with the most ability when they’re young who make the most mistakes, because they’re trying to learn what they can and can’t do,” Kerr said.

Poole’s overall shooting percentage this season is 42.4 percent, while his 3-point shooting percentage is 31.9 percent. Last season, his free throw percentage was 92.5 percent, which placed him as the league leader in free throw percentage. That number also dropped, with him taking a career-high 3.7 free throws per game. As a result, his percentage has dropped to 86.1 percent.