The Washington Wizards are about to head into the 2023-24 season with a completely revamped roster. Instead of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, the Wizards have a younger, more dynamic, and more exciting team. On the new-look Wizards, the main offensive engines are expected to be Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. Poole has been an electrifying scorer in his young career, but there are still important parts of his game that needs improvement.
Poole was one of only two Warriors that played in every game last season. Not only was his availability impressive, but he also started in 43 games. His ability to play next to other stars made him the first option to come into the lineup whether it is Andrew Wiggins, Steph Curry, or Klay Thompson that were missing that game.
Poole was not as efficient or effective last season compared to the year prior. In the breakout season in 2021-22, Poole was an integral part of the Warriors’ championship run. He averaged 18.5 points and 4 assists per game on above-average 60% true shooting. He managed to maintain his scoring volume and increase his efficiency in the playoffs.
The 2022-23 season wasn’t as rosy for Poole. He increased his scoring average to 20.4 but all of his shooting splits, 2-point, 3-point, and free-throw accuracy were all worse compared to the prior year. He struggled immensely in the playoffs, losing some of his minutes in the rotation to finish the postseason with averages of 10.3 points, 3.5 assists on an awful 45% true shooting.
It is hard to imagine the incident where his teammate Draymond Green punched Poole in the preseason training camp wouldn’t have had an impact on Poole’s psyche and overall performance.
The great news for the Washington Wizards is that they were able to acquire Poole when his value was at its nadir. After the 2022 season, it would have been close to impossible for Washington to land Poole following his impressive performance.
Jordan Poole may have needed a fresh start and a bigger role without the shadow of Steph Curry and the Golden State dynasty. He came to the right place. The Wizards will entrust him with the ball, and it will be up to Poole to show what he is capable of. To fully blossom into the star the Wizards are hoping for, he needs to expand his game in these three areas.
Ballhandling
Despite being a dangerous scorer who can attack the rim and get inside the paint, Jordan Poole’s handles are not as tight as they should be. He has a tendency to overdribble, get in traffic without a plan, and lose control of the ball. This makes him a turnover-prone player.
Poole averaged 3.1 turnovers per game last season. This means that he turned the ball over in 14.6% of the possessions he had the ball. This puts him at the 11th percentile in his position. The main culprit in these turnovers is his loose ball handling. He dribbles the ball too far from his body, making it easy for defenders to poke it away.
Another reason why he loses control of the ball is the pace he plays with. He wants to go as quickly and fast as he can in pick and rolls or when he is in attack mode. This causes him to rush things and turn the ball over.
Poole was also one of the most negatively-impacted players by the NBA’s decision to enforce carrying and palming violations last season. Poole was regularly called for carrying violations when dribbling the ball, even three times in one game earlier in the season. Poole really struggled to adjust to the new enforcement, and this threw him off his game the whole season.
Fortunately, we can expect Poole to adapt to this with a full offseason to work on it. This will almost certainly help cut Poole’s turnover problem and bring his offense to new levels.
3-point shooting
Because Jordan Poole is a microwave scorer who can get hot in a pinch and hit multiple threes in a short span, there is an impression that he is a great shooter. That is not the case. Poole’s career three-point percentage of 34% leaves a lot to be desired from a player of his caliber.
There is no reason for Poole to not be a better shooter. He has good form and mechanics, and a good versatility on his jump shot. Yet, the shots haven’t gone down with the accuracy that Poole or the Warriors fans wanted.
Poole only shot above league-average from downtown one out of his four seasons in the NBA, when he hit 36.4 percent of his threes in 2021-22. The fact that he can create his own shot, or come off screens to take three-pointers is a huge advantage. Not many players in the league can even attempt over 7 three-pointers per game, a mark Poole hit for two straight seasons.
Part of Poole’s low three-point accuracy is his shot selection. Considering his role as a bench scorer and a tough shot-maker, it makes sense for Poole to take some of the tougher shots on the team. However, he tends to take it too far and attempt some ill-advised off-the-dribble threes when there are better options on the court. Cleaning these up would help him immensely with his scoring efficiency.
If Poole can get his three-point percentage over 36 percent on a tough shot diet for the Wizards next season, it would be a huge win. That should be the goal.
Individual defense
With the offensive load Jordan Poole is carrying and his physical limitations, it may not be realistic to expect him to be a high-level defender. However, he needs to be much better on that end to become a high-level player.
Poole doesn’t have elite physical or athletic tools. He is only 6’4 and doesn’t have a long wingspan or great strength. It is naturally difficult for him to guard bigger players. And maybe that is a lot to ask from him. But he certainly can be better at defending guards.
Poole’s elite quickness, speed, and first step are apparent on the offensive end. Yet, those tools are invisible on defense. He struggles to keep attacking players in front of him and gets pushed around easily. He doesn’t provide much in terms of help defense either, as demonstrated by his poor steal and block numbers throughout his career. He consistently allows blow-bys and creates big holes for his own defense with his mistakes.
When Poole played alongside Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, and Andrew Wiggins, these mistakes were covered by the defensive excellence of these players. The Wizards don’t have that same caliber of defenders to make up for Poole’s mistakes.
Some of these defensive deficiencies are about his poor closeout technique or strength. These may take longer to fix. However, what can easily be fixed is a lack of effort, discipline, and concentration on that end. Poole has struggled with all of those at times during his Golden State stint. Now that he is one of the team leaders in Washington, he needs to set a better example on those fronts.