Jordan Poole is caught in a season from hell for the hapless Washington Wizards. Not even two years ago, Poole was emerging as a key piece on the Golden State Warriors’ unlikely run to the 2022 championship. Months later, Poole signed a max contract and got punched in the face by teammate Draymond Green. His career hasn’t been the same since.
There was some optimism that Poole could enjoy a bounce-back season this year after the trade that sent him to D.C. Poole had shown electric scoring ability at his best with the Warriors, and there would certainly be plenty of shots to go around on a Wizards team just starting a massive rebuild. Well, that hasn’t happened. These days, you only hear about Poole when he’s caught up in viral moments for all the wrong reasons on one of the league’s worst teams.
The Jordan Poole experience hit a new low on Wednesday night. The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Wizards, 114-106, in a game Poole would like to forget. He finished scoreless in 25 minutes, shooting 0-of-5 from the field before fouling out. When Poole missed a deep pull-up near the end of the fourth quarter, the home crowd in Washington booed him hard. Watch the video here:
Poole contributed five assists, two rebounds, and a steal on the night, but no one is going to remember that. They’re going to remember the fact that he finished with zero points in 25 minutes before fouling out. It’s a little harsh for the Wizards fans to boo him off the floor, but it’s also hard to blame them.
It’s really a miracle the Warriors found someone to take Poole off their hands. While Chris Paul hasn’t exactly worked out in Golden State, at least he’s an expiring contract. Poole is still under contract for the next three years at more than $96 million.
Everyone should be rooting for Poole to starting playing better ball soon. Who knows what kind of internal struggles he dealt with after getting socked by Green. When Poole was at his peak, it was so much fun watching him score the basketball. The Warriors don’t win the 2022 championship without his contributions. Somehow, it all seems so long ago now. The longer this season goes on, the worse it gets for both the Wizards and Poole.
