Jordan Poole’s NBA career following his departure from the Golden State Warriors has reached a nadir, as the young guard faced jeers from the Washington Wizards’ home crowd due to a disappointing showing against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Following his trade from the Warriors to the Wizards during the draft in June, there were high hopes for Poole to flourish in Washington, liberated from the shadows of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
However, the 24-year-old has struggled to cope with increased defensive pressure directed at him. His disappointing season took a turn for the worse when he faced boos from the home crowd during the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers.
Poole failed to score in his team’s 114-106 defeat, managing just two rebounds and five assists while shooting 0-of-5 from the field (0-of-4 from beyond the arc) in nearly 25 minutes of play. The boos intensified after Poole missed a step-back three-point shot over Sam Merrill in the final four minutes, with Washington trailing by just four points.
In his last eight games, Poole has scored less than seven points on four occasions, including a game against the Phoenix Suns where he managed just four points on 1-of-7 shooting in a lopsided loss on Sunday.
Wednesday’s match further reinforces the wisdom behind the Warriors’ decision to trade the former first-round pick. Despite signing a contract extension with Golden State at the beginning of last season, Poole still has three years and nearly $100 million left on his deal.
Also: Steve Kerr reacts to Steph Curry’s 60 Points and Disheartening loss to the Hawks
The trade hasn’t been entirely beneficial for the Warriors either, as they currently hold the 11th spot in the Western Conference with a record of 23-25. Chris Paul initially made an impact at the start of the season but has since missed 12 games due to a fractured hand that needed surgery.
Since joining the Wizards, Poole has averaged 15.9 points while shooting 40.4% from the field and 29.7% from three-point range. Last season with the Warriors, he achieved a career-high average of 20.4 points and 4.5 assists before experiencing a disastrous end during the 2022 playoffs.
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