https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/How-Jordan-Poole-s-bond-with-Draymond-Green-is-17120899.php

DENVER — Warriors forward Draymond Green wanted to dislike teammate Jordan Poole. As a proud Michigan State alum, Green considers it his duty to despise anyone who attended rival Michigan.

But in addition to being a diehard Spartan, Green is a team leader — the type of elder statesman who mentors young teammates, calls players-only meetings and strives to hold everyone to a high standard. Despite their collegiate differences, Green made sure his locker-room stall was positioned next to Poole’s during Poole’s rookie year.

Though Poole labored mightily that season, Green saw in his baby-faced protégé much of himself: a high basketball IQ, a commitment to film study and, perhaps most importantly, a desire to become great. As Poole went from G Leaguer to elite NBA scorer in little more than a year, Green was unsurprised. It was only a matter of time, he figured, before Poole enjoyed a breakthrough.

Now that Poole has begun to master the change of direction and off-ball movement so crucial to Stephen Curry’s game, his off-court bond with Green is translating on the floor. Their synergy manifests in give-and-go plays and speedy dribble-handoffs. On numerous occasions during the Warriors’ first three playoff games, one might have mistaken Poole for Curry — not just because he has many of Curry’s same tricks, but because he and Green share an unmistakable flow.
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 21: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Aaron Gordon #50 of the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter during Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 21, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 21: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Aaron Gordon #50 of the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter during Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 21, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

With Green hitting him on a mix of high-arcing passes on the weakside, quick swing passes in the corner and low-angle bounce passes, Poole has become the first Warriors player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960 to score at least 25 points in his first three career playoff games. Poole’s team-high 28.7 points per game rank seventh in the NBA postseason, just behind MVP front-runner Nikola Jokic.

“You’re talking about a guy who was on the third team All-G League last year, and is now our No. 1 option in these playoffs,” Green said after Poole needed only 13 shots to score 27 points in Thursday’s Game 3 win over the Nuggets. “The way he’s playing, he’s gained the trust of everyone on the team. He’s gained the trust of Coach (Steve) Kerr, and he’s gained fear from everybody else.”

Added Kerr: “All the stuff Steph and Draymond have been doing for years, Jordan is starting to do that. Draymond is kind of walking him through it.”

Late in the first quarter Thursday, Poole pump-faked at the top of the arc and, with no clean shot available, handed the ball to Green before striding to the right elbow. After Poole juked to his left and created some distance from Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, he cut hard toward the rim. At just the right moment, Green laced a bounce pass to Poole, who lofted in a layup while drawing contact from Denver forward JaMychal Green.

The sequence might have looked effortless, but it required pinpoint precision from Poole and Green. Such a play likely wouldn’t have been possible just a few months ago. Before Green missed eight-plus weeks with a lower-back injury he suffered in mid-January, he and Poole often struggled to find a rhythm with one another.

In a mid-November game against Minnesota, a video went viral of Green and Poole jawing at each other during a timeout on the Warriors’ bench. Moments earlier, Green had wanted to free Poole up for a wide-open 3-pointer with a high screen, only for Poole to dribble nowhere before Green could get there and for the possession to stall out.

It was commonplace for Poole to ignore a pick so he could try to beat his defender on his own. During that heated exchanged caught on video, Green scolded Poole for not playing team-oriented basketball.

At the time, Poole was still learning the nuances of the Warriors’ read-and-react system. Any perceived selfishness on Poole’s part might have been a mere lack of understanding. But when Green returned from his back injury in mid-March, he found Poole to be much more prudent in his movements.

Finally, after flashing his offensive potential for more than two years, he was a reliable option — the kind of scorer who made the right reads and turned down good shots for great ones. Poole’s newfound grasp of angles and spacing helped him fill in as the Warriors’ No. 1 option when Curry missed the last 12 regular-season games with a foot injury.

By the time Curry returned for the start of the playoffs, Golden State had a huge luxury: two players who can attack the rim at will and work in tandem with Green. So much for that bad blood between Spartans and Wolverines.

“It’s truly special just to be a part of this group,” Poole said. “These guys just allow me to be me.”