Jordan Poole is not leaving a strong impression in Washington through the first 11 games of the season. He’s had many lowlights go viral already, but the most ire-inducing came when Poole seemingly ignored Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. during a timeout to mean mug and throw towels, missing the play and needing to ask the staff to tell him after the timeout was over.
Poole has gotten real about that moment, explaining what was happening.
“How is somebody supposed to give that commentary from the middle of the stands? I can’t do anything about it. Sometimes I sit down, sometimes I don’t. Coaches do their huddles early on to figure out what they will do. It’s such a long time too, it’s a two-minute timeout. Coaches are talking for like 35 seconds. I saw the play, I went back just to ask a question just to make sure. Just continue to be vocal and communicate with my teammates. It’s a very normal timeout honestly, wasn’t anything that was different.”
Jordan Poole on the timeout video in Brooklyn
"How is somebody supposed to give that commentary from the middle of the stands? … I saw the play, I went back just to ask a question just to make sure. … It's a very normal timeout honestly, wasn't anything that was different." pic.twitter.com/vusafJ6CF8
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) November 16, 2023
Poole is having a very rough start to life in Washington as the No. 1 scoring option. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists to start the season on 40.6% from the field and 30.1% from three. Nobody expected him to lead the Wizards to wins but they did expect him to average gaudy numbers given he was a 20-point scorer in a limited role with the Warriors.
Kyle Kuzma has been a bigger breakout star for the Wizards this season, averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
Poole’s slow start to the season will be concerning for the organization, especially given the string of lowlights he’s generated from looking completely uninterested on the court. The timeout might not be as damning as fans want it to be, but everything else with Poole has been rough to watch.
Washington Already Looking To Move On From Jordan Poole?
Marc Stein is one of the most respected NBA newsbreakers around right now and he made a shocking revelation about Poole’s future in Washington. While writing on his Substack about the potential for Poole to be moved to a new team or being the Wizards’ next franchise cornerstone, he implied that Poole may be likelier to get moved than become the next Bradley Beal in Washington.
“My sense, from speaking to various league observers, is that more believe it is the former rather than the latter with Poole in Year 1 of a four-year, $123 million contract.”
If the Wizards have to end Poole’s tenure this early in their relationship, they’ll need him to pick up the slack on the court. After being traded by the Warriors as a salary dump, his value around the league has to be low. His slow start to the season makes matters worse, as very few teams have any real reason to trade for a high-usage scorer like Poole who’s shown he can’t even score to start the season.
His personality concerns are also going to affect his trade value. Unless he gets sent to the right system, I find it hard to envision Poole becoming the success he has the talent to be. He’s still very young and could flourish in the right system, but he needs the right system to believe in him enough to part with assets for him.
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