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Jordan Poole wants to be noticed, and he most certainly was on Monday night.
The third-year goaltender scored a high 30 points to lead the Warriors to a 121-107 victory over the Trail Blazers in the preseason opener at the Moda Center in Portland.
Three other Warriors scored in double digits, Otto Porter looking very precise with a total of 19 points, while Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins each scored 13. Sixteen different Warriors played, none over 22 minutes.
Here are three takeaways from a night the Warriors attempted 69 3-pointers in the first of five dry innings:
The Poole file
Considering starting alongside Curry in the backcourt, Poole had the kind of boisterous play that would certainly increase his already substantial lead in the competition to start shooting until Klay Thompson was cleared to play.
Taking full advantage of the license to be aggressive, Poole drained 3 points from back-to-back possessions, 19 seconds apart in the first three minutes. It was, dare we say it, very Klay-like.
Poole had 15 points and recorded four assists in 15 minutes in the first half. He finished with 30 points (10 of 17 shots, 7 of 12 deep), five assists and five rebounds. He was the best of the team over-21 in 22 minutes.
Yes, the 6-foot-3-inch Michigan product was pretty unstoppable.
Thompson won’t be back until December, so coach Steve Kerr sees the preseason as an audition for those hoping to fill the void. Avery Bradley, Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder deserve to be considered, but Poole has escaped the blocks in his attempt to grab the role.
The Draymond file
Draymond Green’s first shot attempt was a statement in itself, a 3 point left wing. No hesitation. Just catch, shoot, rustle, just like Kerr would like.
“We really like when he has this approach that he’s going to go out and get some buckets,” Kerr said last week. “When he does that we tend to be a better team.”
It’s a dimension Kerr underestimated last season, when he expressed no concerns about Green’s lack of a goal. Draymond was often reluctant to shoot, even when open, perhaps because his 3-point shot steadily declined in effectiveness, from a career-high 38.8% in 2015-16 to 27.0 last season.
Additionally, Draymond’s timid approach allowed defenses to play him for the pass, resulting in more turnovers.
So the change of tone. If Draymond, who has scored seven points in 14 minutes, can shoot a few trebles per game and become a scoring threat, it creates more space for his teammates.
The recruit file
Golden State’s two teen lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody sat down and watched the first half before taking the field after half.
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Neither made a strong impression in their first appearance against NBA players.
Kuminga, entering the third quarter, finished with five points (2 of 6 shooting, 0 of 3 from distance) and two rebounds in 11 minutes. He also made a few turnovers.
Moody, entered in the fourth quarter, played only nine minutes and did not score, missing his only shot, a 3 points. He recorded two assists with no turnover.
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