Jordan Poole thriving in Warriors' starting five
Raphielle Johnson analyzes Jordan Poole's season with the Warriors, who has excelled in the starting lineup and should continue to do so even when Andrew Wiggins makes his return.
Video Transcript
- Serving primarily as the Warriors' sixth man, Jordan Poole has been promoted into the starting lineup whenever the reigning champions have been down a starter. His most recent assignment has been to fill in for the injured Andrew Wiggins, who's currently sidelined with a strained right groin. And Poole has performed-- has performed well, most recently scoring 36 points with four rebounds, eight assists, and four 3-pointers in a December 7th loss to the Jazz. Of course, the Warriors were also without Stephen Curry for that game, but the NBA Finals MVP was on the court for each of the two games prior.
Over his last three appearances, Poole is averaging 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.7 3-pointers in 32 minutes per game, shooting 48.3% from the field and nearly 93% from the foul line. That's been good for top-50 per game value over the last week, quite the improvement for a player who's ranked outside the top 150 in season-long finishes together. Wiggins should be back soon, but Poole's role will be significant enough for him to make a run at top-100 value by season's end.