Jordan Poole bashed by Eastern Conference executive
The Golden State Warriors are on the brink of elimination against the Lakers. Down 3-1 in the series, Golden State will be fighting for its life in Game 5 Wednesday night. The Warriors will also likely not be counting on Jordan Poole to produce much after a horrible playoff performance thus far.
Poole has averaged 10.5 points per game and is shooting 34.2% from the field in the playoffs. He’s averaging even less against the Lakers — a minuscule 8.0 points.
An Eastern Conference executive voiced their opinion of Poole and his role on the Warriors with Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, calling him, “empty calories.”
“He doesn’t defend, doesn’t really create for others and that Draymond [Green] incident wasn’t a great look for either of them,” the executive told Pincus. “The intel on Poole [and his presence in the locker room] isn’t great.“
Poole signed a four-year, $128 million dollar contract extension last offseason after playing a crucial role in the Warriors’ championship run last season. In last season’s playoffs, Poole averaged 17 points, while shooting 50.8% from the field in 22 total playoff games.
His massive contract was viewed by many as a big leap of faith from the Warriors. If Poole’s playoff production this year is any indication, that may be true.
“I don’t know why the Warriors rushed to overpay him. They could have given him the same money this summer,” the NBA executive said. “At least then, they’d know what his contract would mean to their situation. He’s earning more than [Andrew] Wiggins, and Wiggins is way more valuable than Poole.”
Golden State coming back from a 3-1 deficit is not impossible, though Poole will need to fix whatever the heck his problem is currently if that is going to happen.
What does Poole’s Future with the Warriors look like?
With the Lakers seemingly poised to finish the Warriors, a lot of offseason questions are going to be had in San Francisco. Firstly, Draymond Green is set to hit the free agent market in 2023. Shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo will also hit the free agency market this offseason.
Potentially losing Green’s defensive presence places even greater pressure on the Splash Brothers to hit a high volume of shots. After the Warriors signed Poole to the massive contract, it is unlikely a team will take him on in a trade. He will need to prove something in what may be the Warriors’ final game of the season tonight against the Lakers. Otherwise, his future with the Warriors may very well be in jeopardy.
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