Jordan Poole was one of the Warriors’ biggest success stories in the 2021-22 season, but things quickly turned ugly after his violent altercation with Draymond Green. In the aftermath of the encounter, the Warriors tried (and failed) to sweep the story under the rug and Poole was left as the odd man out by the end of the season. Ahead of Poole’s return to Chase Center, Warriors coach Steve Kerr opened up about his exit and finally admitted that the Warriors did not handle it well.
“It’s really unfortunate how it played out,” Kerr said, via ESPN. “You just wish that things could have ended on a more positive note and in a more positive way. There have been times during this run where we’ve needed to find scoring, and Jordan gave us that. You cannot minimize his contributions.”
Poole’s final season with the Warriors was anything but smooth sailing, and he became the target of blame when the team struggled to win games. But now that he’s gone, Poole is set to receive a huge shout from the organization for his role in helping them win the 2022 championship.
“Given that this is his one visit to Chase this year, it’s our first chance to really thank Jordan for his contributions, for helping us win a championship,” Kerr said. “We don’t win that championship without him. Everyone here recognizes that. Our fans recognize that, so Jordan is going to get a massive ovation.”
Rough Stretch For Jordan Poole
There may be nobody more unsettled by what happened in Golden State than Jordan Poole himself. It was only a few months after winning the title when he was punched in the face by his teammate and things were never the same again. Now, Poole finds himself in a very different situation than he was with the Dubs.
In 25 games this season, Jordan is averaging 17.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game on just 41.6% shooting. With him and Kyle Kuzma leading the show, the Wizards have been atrocious this season with a record of just 4-22 through the first 26 games. Needless to say, it’s been rough going for Jordan Poole and the Wizards so far and it’s a real shame how it all played out given how good things were going with the Warriors.
Warriors Made A Big Mistake
It’s no secret that the incident with Draymond de-railed the Warriors’ chemistry but they may have made a mistake by letting him go so quickly. This season, at 13-14, the Warriors could have used a pure scorer and ball handler like Poole in the backcourt. Instead, they are stuck relying on a modern version of Klay Thompson and a struggling Andrew Wiggins to fill in the gaps. Meanwhile, Draymond Green continues to show his true colors by racking up suspension after suspension.
Last season, the Warriors should have done more to reconcile the relationship between Dray and Poole. They should have done more to heal the vibes in the locker room and rebuild the trust between players. Sadly, it’s too late to turn back now and all the Warriors can do now is look back and feel regret on how it all played out.
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