Jordan Poole will be the most intriguing storyline in the NBA next season
By Cem Yolbulan
How good is Jordan Poole? How much was he affected by Draymond Green’s punch last season? How valuable is a volume scorer who doesn’t defend? Will being out of Golden State’s system help or hurt him? These questions are not only interesting for Washington Wizards fans but also fascinating for basketball fans in general. One of the most intriguing storylines in the NBA in the 2023-24 season will be Jordan Poole’s performance.
No one quite knows what to make of Jordan Poole. His former teammate Klay Thompson, along with many others, are calling him a “future All-Star.” Yet, Poole’s performance last season was nowhere near an All-Star level. He averaged 20.4 points and 4.5 assists with 3.1 turnovers per game on 43%, 33.6%, and 87% shooting splits while being one of the more detrimental defensive players in the league.
Can Jordan Poole increase his production as a primary option?
However, he is only 24 years old and he has performed well in extended periods when Steph Curry missed time. He was excellent in the 2022 championship run for the Warriors. If you chalk last season’s performance up to the punch and lack of team chemistry, one can easily see a future All-Star. Maybe he needed his own team and not be in the shadows of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green trio. There is a chance he could blossom into an elite offensive player as a primary option. There is definitely a scenario in which Poole averages 25 points and 5 assists on above-league-average efficiency for the Wizards.
Yet, there is also a scenario in which we have already witnessed the high watermark for Poole. Maybe his 2022-23 season performance is who he is and the 2022 playoff performance was the outlier. Maybe his best role on a good team is as a dynamic scorer off the bench like Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams. Maybe the Warriors system made him look better than he actually is. There is a world in which he again averages only 20 points on an even worse field goal percentage.
This wide range of outcomes is what makes Jordan Poole an extremely interesting player to watch. There aren’t too many 24-year-olds in the NBA who could top out as a sixth man or become a perennial All-Star.
Jordan Poole still needs to develop certain areas of his game
There are plenty of aspects of Poole’s game that he needs to develop. His handles are extremely loose as he is a turnover machine who gets called for a palming or carrying violation at least once a game. His jump shot is inconsistent and has never been as good as his reputation suggests. Improving in these areas will bring him closer to that All-Star level. What will make him a perennial All-Star, however, will be an improvement on the defensive end. Getting at least to a passable level instead of the current horrendous level will do wonders for him as a player.
In what appears to be a developmental season for the Washington Wizards, perhaps the most interesting storyline will be Jordan Poole’s performance. Whether the Wizards can rehabilitate his value and make him a franchise player or at the very least a trade asset will be fascinating to watch all season.
