Jordan Poole certainly turned some heads Thursday night during the Warriors’ loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The second-year guard racked up 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting overall and 5-for-10 from 3-point range.
“I’m anxious to see what Jordan Poole’s role is going to be now that he came up with that game last night,” Warriors radio analyst Jim Barnett said Friday morning on 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” show. “They need scoring from people off the bench.
“I watched him play last year — a little indecisive, tried to make too many moves. What I saw last night is he makes a move and goes. There’s no hesitation. Rather than jab step back, jab step back, jab step back — I kept seeing him do that last year.
“You want to beat your man off that first dribble, and he was doing that last night.”
Yes he was, and it was very impressive.
Poole as a rookie had a couple solid performances during Golden State’s first five games. But he struggled mightily from Nov. 2 through Jan. 10 — shooting below 25 percent overall and 20 percent from deep.
“I talked to him just a little bit last year early on. I got the idea that maybe he thought he was gonna do a little better — that he was a better player — coming in,” Barnett explained. “When you come from college, you can get knocked on your ass.
“And I think he did a little bit. But he’s worked really hard. I’m really excited about him and seeing what can happen.”
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Poole before Thursday missed the Warriors’ prior 16 games as he played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League bubble.
“I think it’s a good thing they sent him down,” he said. “I think maybe he’s had an awakening.”
We shall see.
Poole needs to produce on a consistent basis — and in games that really matter — before Warriors fans can get too excited.
But his performance vs. the Suns was a fantastic start.
