After starting each of his first 52 contests with the Wizards, guard Jordan Poole was moved to the second unit in the team’s first game after the All-Star break on Thursday, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Rookie forward Bilal Coulibaly took Poole’s place in the starting lineup.
Interim head coach Brian Keefe stressed that the move wasn’t made because the Wizards have lost faith in Poole but because they want to make the most of his skill set and get the ball in his hands more often, according to Wallace, who notes that the team is down a point guard following Delon Wright‘s recent buyout.
“It’s all about helping our group improve as a whole,” Keefe said prior to Thursday’s game vs. Denver. “One of the things we’ve liked about Jordan since I’ve taken over is that I’ve definitely given him the ball more and have allowed him to be an elite decision-maker. With some of the roster opening up, now there’s an opportunity for him to do that more and make our team more complete and be able to play a better, full 48 minutes.
“… It’s really a positive. It’s actually a credit to Jordan. Jordan’s been one of our highest net ratings since I’ve taken over, and I just want to see more of that. This gives him an opportunity now, being in that unit, to be the lead handler, lead decision-maker and kind of be our offensive engine.”
After signing a four-year, $123MM extension with the Warriors in 2022, Poole was traded from Golden State to Washington during the 2023 offseason, just as that lucrative long-term contract was beginning. His transition to his new NBA home has been a bumpy one — his scoring average has dipped to 15.7 points per game and his shooting percentages (.396 FG%, .304 3PT%) are his lowest since he was a rookie in 2019/20.
The 24-year-old also hasn’t been particularly effective on defense, and while Keefe is right that Poole’s net rating relative to Washington’s overall mark has been solid in recent weeks, that wasn’t the case during the first half of the season. Under previous coach Wes Unseld Jr., the Wizards had a -14.1 net rating during Poole’s minutes, compared to a -2.3 rating when he wasn’t on the court.
Poole was just 4-of-17 from the field in Thursday’s loss to the Nuggets, but he did end up scoring 18 points and logging 30 minutes, both above his season averages. While he suggested he wasn’t thrilled about the move to the bench, Poole said he’ll look to make the most of it.
“If there’s any common sense, with the situation, you should know how I feel. But I’m just going to come out, do what I can do to help the team, keep it moving,” he said. “I’ve been a point guard the last three years of my career. I haven’t really played in my position all year, just kind of trying to figure that out. I mean, if this is a way to try to get me on ball, I guess that’s just what we have to do.
“But I feel like I’ve mentioned it, I’ve been a (point guard), I’ve been primary on-ball, I’ve been a facilitator, play-maker, as well as scoring. I feel like that’s kind of where I proved my game and how I play, played to my strengths, and it hasn’t been like that this year unfortunately. I’m just trying to get better in the other areas of the game.”
It remains to be seen whether Poole will come off the bench for the rest of the season. As Wallace relays, Keefe told reporters on Thursday that the new lineup is one “we’re going to look at for a little while.”
THOMPSON COMES OFF THE BENCH….. ENOUGH SAID. FIGURE IT OUT BOBBLEHEAD
Thompson is old. Bobblehead is in his prime at 23 years old.
If this is his prime than it’s not very good.
*Then. Dang it.
I’ll take 1-9 Klay over 4-17 Poole any day. Thompson is a team guy.
Foolish to think Poole is taking 17 shots on almost any other team than the Wiz
FINALLY!!!
Poole struggles isn’t even his fault at all how is he supposed to get going and have a role with a team clearly not trying to win. The team hasn’t put him in a position for him to win and succeed not giving him the ball now there benching him basically blaming him for all the teams struggles with 9 wins. Hopefully Poole gets put in a better situation in the offseason because he still has lots of talent to become a star just needs a coach and team that believes in him not a tanking team. He would have still been a Warrior if not for the new CBA and Warriors needing to get under the cap.
This makes no sense. He could still be shooting well and playing defence on a bad team.
You forgot he needs a brain to go along with a coach and team
When I first heard about the contract the Warriors gave Poole I was stunned. I think everyone is stunned that he’s this bad, making big bucks.
Poole looks like a lost soul. Worst signing in the NBA in many years.
One of the reasons I was not a Bob Myer fan. This was more about him drafting Poole so he gave him a huge contract. Poole has always been a poor defender but can shoot. He is more of a 6th man off the bench. With Curry on the floor he had so many open looks but gave up so many baskets on defense. He needs to use the off season becoming a adequate defender instead of the guy the offense attacks.
Oof. Shooting 39/30 and a 10 PER? This might be the worst contract in NBA right now.
“We absolutely love Poole and to make our team the best it can be we need to take him out of our lineup.”
Overrated player remains overrated.
How long have I been telling you he was a system guy. Overrated and overpaid and plays No D. And they gave up Wiseman for this guy.
That was a really good observation recognizing he was a system guy. I watched a fair amount of him at GS and he really had games that made him look incredible.
Wiz and improve don’t actually correlate…
WSH acquiring this guy in the aftermath of getting off Beal’s contract was perhaps the worst decision by any NBA FO over the past year. WSH’s new regime made some other decisions that I didn’t like but there was a case for them. I never a coherent one for getting Poole.