Jordan Poole was the first draft pick of the Golden State Warriors following their last playoff appearance in 2019. In the three years since, the team has been ravaged with injuries to its biggest stars, rarely showing glimpses of the dynastic group that made five straight title appearances and won three.
There was never much doubt that once healthy again, the Warriors would return to glory. The only question was, when that happened, who would be a part of the complimentary pieces surrounding Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Poole used the last three years to make sure he was one of those players.
The 6-4 guard sharpened his game to the point he was considered a candidate for Most Improved Player this year. He’s been so good that the Warriors opted to start him in place of Curry on Saturday in Game 1 of their series against the Denver Nuggets, Curry’s first game back after a month out with a foot injury. Poole delivered, scoring 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting. No longer is he simply a role player, he’s become vital to Golden State’s playoff success.
