Jordan Poole ranked among league's most overrated in anonymous NBA player poll

On Monday, Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic launched the publication's annual anonymous NBA player poll. This year's poll includes the entries of 142 players, drawing the opinions of stars, role players, veterans, and rookies alike.

The Athletic began the exercise in 2019, asking players to weigh in on several talking points around basketball. By allowing anonymity, the players feel no shame in answering the questions with complete honesty, giving fans a clear look into the way the players feel about topics such as award races and who the greatest of all time truly is.

This year, the polled players were asked which player in the NBA they believe the league's most overrated talent. Last year, the title was given to Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, who fell to third place in the 2024 result. The two players who garnered a higher percentage of votes this time around were Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole

NBA anonymous player poll voters results unfavorable to Jordan Poole

Collecting 8.6 percent of the 81 votes cast, the Wizards' 24-year-old guard is believed by his peers to be the league's second-most overrated player according to the anonymous poll.

The reputation Poole gained while playing behind Stephen Curry earned the young guard a four-year contract extension worth $128 million following the Golden State Warriors' run to the NBA title. Poole played masterfully off the bench throughout the playoffs, averaging 17 points per game on efficient scoring marks.

Since then, the expectations for Poole have been sky-high. The Warriors' shortcomings in the 2023 playoffs and an altercation at practice with forward Draymond Green urged Golden State to make a change, sending Poole to Washington as part of a trade package to acquire Chris Paul.

Why do the players think Jordan Poole is overrated?

During the first half of his introductory season in the District, Poole struggled to reach the same heights he had before. Under Wes Unseld Jr., the Wizards' offensive scheme worked against Poole's strengths, limiting his time on-ball and focusing more on getting Poole into catch-and-shoot opportunities.

With Brian Keefe's role upgraded from assistant to interim head coach, Poole's role on the team underwent some reimagining, briefly returning to the sixth-man role he held in Golden State before being thrust into the starting lineup with Tyus Jones suffering from a back injury.

In his return to the starting lineup, Poole did not disappoint. In 14 games as the Wizards' starting point guard during the final four weeks of the season, Poole averaged 21.2 points and 7.1 assists per game, a significant mark of progress from where his statistics stood early on in the year.

Although the rest of the league has yet to take notice, Jordan made strides this season towards becoming a more complete player for Washington. The contract under which he plays on brings immense pressure for the young guard to compete at the highest level. Despite the rocky start, Poole has shown growth and should he stay the course, he certainly will not find himself at the top of this list next year.