While Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson are the Warriors’ most important players, Jordan Poole is quickly rising the ranks as one of their biggest difference makers.
Last season, in 51 games, he averaged 18.5 points, 4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 44% shooting.
And while many in the NBA community have praised Poole for his ascension, many are wondering what it is that motivates him the most. Apparently, according to his former teammate Nico Mannion, it’s actually the baddies in the stands that bring out his best.
“I was actually on the phone with him the other day and I had seen a video and it said Jordan Poole plays like he’s trying to steal your girl! And I told him that and he was like ‘yeah that’s the point.’ They get there with you and they leave with me, and he just started laughing.”
Nico Mannion confirms that Jordan Poole’s motivation comes from the baddies courtside at games 😭 pic.twitter.com/DKuf2yRcGs
— jose ☔️ (@KlayForTrey) September 11, 2022
Jordan Poole’s connection to courtside females traces back to a video that came out a while ago. In the clip, which takes place in a game against the Celtics, Poole is captured going off after catching the eyes of a certain person sitting courtside.
https://twitter.com/honestGSWfan/status/1568367284510498818
Ever since then, it’s kind of been a running joke that Poole is only at his best when in the gaze of an attractive woman. It’s a fun little story but not totally true.
No matter who he’s in front of, Poole always tries to bring his best to the court, and his consistency is proof that he is capable of making a big impact each and every single game.
Jordan Poole’s Future With The Warriors Is Up In The Air
The question is, how long will he remain with the Warriors? With their luxury tax bill at an all-time high, it will be expensive to keep Poole around long-term, and the front office will soon have to make some really tough decisions.
“We have time to do those things,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said. “There’s no rush on all that. I’m sure there will be some discussions this summer, but we haven’t talked to them. They are two great players in their 20s. We’d love to retain them, but this becomes the problem going forward when you have a team like ours where you’ve got three guys that have been with us for a long time, make a lot of money, huge salaries: Steph, Klay, and Draymond. You’ve got these two guys who will be getting into, well, Wiggins already is in big salary mode and wants to stay there. And Poole is going to be clearly making a lot more money.”
At this point, it’s still too early to tell how much Jordan Poole will improve from last season. But if he takes a sizeable leap, it could put him into All-Star territory.
Either way, he’s going to be ready for the grind ahead and will make sure to keep an eye out for any interesting-looking people along the way.
