Jordan Poole will remain the holder until Klay Thompson returns

While preseason basketball is already underway, one Golden State Warriors player who has stood out is 3rd year guard Jordan Poole. According to a tweet from Anthony Slater, head coach Steve Kerr was very impressed with the growth of his game, telling reporters ahead of Wednesday night’s win over the Denver Nuggets that Jordan Poole will be the starting goalie until then. for Klay Thompson to come back from injury. .

Jordan Poole showed flashes at the end of last year and seems to have kept that momentum going into the coming season as evidenced by his strong performances in the first 2 preseason games. In his 22 minutes of the preseason opener, Poole filled the stat sheet scoring 30 points on 10 of 17 shots, 7 of 12 of 3, 5 assists and 5 rebounds. In the second preseason game, Poole’s hot shot calmed down as he passed 1 of 6 of 3, but he made up for that by putting constant pressure on the rim, which opened things up. for the rest of the offensive. He finished the game with 17 points, 6 of 14 shots, 3 assists and 1 rebound in 23 minutes.

For the Warriors, Poole’s development will go a long way in making them title contenders this season. Aside from the benefits he brings on the pitch, Poole’s rise to an important role on the team allows the Warriors to slowly bring Thompson back as he recovers from his Achilles tendon injury. Thompson is certainly a starter on this team when in good health, but a torn Achilles tendon is known to be one of the most difficult injuries for basketballers and athletes in general to recover. They often cost the athlete a full year of play and even then they usually never come back the same. On the flip side, Kevin Durant is a recent example of a basketball player who enjoyed a longer and more patient recovery than the conventional gap year. The extra rest appear to have helped Durant as he returned to basketball looking like himself before the injury.

With the luxury of Poole’s rapid growth, the Warriors can play him with confidence in the starting lineup. It would alleviate some of the pressure to immediately reduce Thompson to full-time minutes, benefiting his long-term success and that of the team.