Kurtenbach: Jordan Poole’s reality check could define the Warriors’
postseason
Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole's first bad game in months
highlights just how hard it is to be the "next Steph Curry."
>DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 24: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3)
walks off the court following their 126-121 loss to the Denver Nuggets
for Game 4 of the team’s NBA basketball first-round playoff series at
Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
>DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 24: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3)
walks off the court following their 126-121 loss to the Denver Nuggets
for Game 4 of the team’s NBA basketball first-round playoff series at
Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (Nhat V.
Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2022 at 4:30 a.m. | UPDATED: April 25, 2022 at 7:30
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/25/kurtenbach-jordan-pooles-reality-check-could-define-the-warriors-postseason/

Jordan Poole has changed the game for the Warriors this postseason. His
emergence as much more than a solid secondary offensive weapon had
Golden State looking like a title contender in the first three games of
the postseason.

But the game changed on Poole on Sunday.

Game 4 was a reality check for the Warriors’ young guard, and how he
responds in Wednesday’s Game 5 will tell us so much about his
development as a player and the Warriors’ postseason possibilities.

Poole had a bad game in Sunday’s elimination game. After performances of
30, 29, and 27 points in the first three games of this series, Poole
went 3-of-10 from the field in Game 3, scoring only 11 points.

Now, everyone is entitled to bad games — most of all 22-year-olds — but
Poole’s came in a game where Denver clearly made him its top defensive
priority.

I suppose all those Steph Curry comparisons that Poole’s teammates and
coaches were making got around.

>(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Yes, Poole’s breakout postseason garnered the attention of the league
and, most of all, the attention of Denver’s coach.

Late in Game 3, Michael Malone experimented with using a bigger player
to guard Poole. It provided mixed results and the Nuggets lost, in large
part because of a huge Poole layup in the clutch.

But apparently the good outweighed the bad, because in Game 4, Malone
called upon Aaron Gordon — a 6-foot-9 forward, with an easy 35 pounds on
Poole — to guard the Warriors’ starting point guard.

Again, the results were mixed — Poole proved capable of blitzing past
Gordon on the dribble — but Gordon’s size clearly provided enough of a
deterrent that Poole had his worst shooting night since March 1.

Poole didn’t talk to the media after the game, but no one who did go to
the dais seemed perturbed by the poor night.

“We all go through tough shooting nights where we’re not feeling like
ourselves. That’s just part of the playoffs,” Klay Thompson said after
the game.

“Teams are going to start throwing stuff at him,” Warriors head coach
Steve Kerr said. “Good experience for Jordan. He has to feel it.”

The confidence in Poole is warranted. Poole has proven over the last few
months and in particular the last week that he is anything but a flash
in the plan.

That said, this is a challenge unlike any he has faced before in his career.

Kerr is right, this is a good experience for Poole.

And seeing as we’re already in unprecedented territory, there’s no
telling what happens next.

>(Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Remember, Poole was playing in the G-League last February and March.
Now, he’s playing like an NBA All-Star.

Most importantly, he’s being treated like an All-Star by the Warriors’
playoff opponent.

This is a crossroads moment in a career that has featured far too many
to date.

True stars have counter after counter. Throw a new defense — no matter
how janky — at them, and with a bit of time, they’ll figure out how to
beat it. Curry is an elite example of this. Kevin Durant could just
shoot over his defenders — Curry has to maneuver his way to an open
look. He has always found a way, oftentimes in the course of a game.

The Warriors now need Poole to live up to those lofty and probably hasty
comparisons to No. 30. In order for this team to compete for a title,
Poole needs to be a 20-point scorer for the Warriors, game in and game
out. Curry, Thompson, and Green are spectacular, but Golden State needs
an additional defense-bending threat to win games and series. As great
as Andrew Wiggins has been against Denver, he’s not that kind of guy.
No, Poole’s emergence answered the Warriors’ biggest question heading
into the playoffs.

The Warriors can probably beat the Nuggets Wednesday without a great
bounce-back game from Poole, but if the third-year guard can’t find a
way to beat this bespoke Denver defense, he’ll only see more size down
the line, against teams that are more talented. That will be a losing
formula for the Dubs.

Now, Poole’s reputation as a diligent worker and his relentless optimism
will serve him well in the coming days. This is why the Warriors’ faith
in Poole is unflappable. He found a way to dish out nine assists and had
three steals on a day when he wasn’t his best.

Poole doesn’t shy away from the spotlight, either. That’s good. It’ll be
on him Wednesday.

If Poole can come through in Game 5 — if he can brush this poor game off
the way a true star does — that faith in the guard will only become deeper.

Oh, and the Warriors’ possible run will go deeper, too.

No pressure, kid.