Heading into their Game 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry wasn’t lacking confidence. The defending NBA Finals MVP never wavered, even when his team faced a 2-0 deficit against the Sacramento Kings in Round 1. In the semifinal, after losing a pivotal Game 3 in blowout fashion, he remained unphased.
Curry remained confident in not only himself but his teammates as well. Before Game 4, he spoke highly of guard Jordan Poole, who has struggled this postseason. He was confident that Poole would turn things around soon enough in the playoffs.
“We are all extremely confident in what he provides for us, what he can do out there and keeping it positive, just how you approach the game,” Curry said. “And that’s what I love about him. He has great energy and making or missing the shots, it’s going to happen.”
Poole had a solid regular season with the Warriors, adjusting well to being the team’s sixth man for about half of the season. He averaged 20.4 points and 4.5 assists, but that production has been nowhere to be found in the playoffs.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole & Golden State Warriors Updates
The Michigan product is averaging only 10.5 points and 3.5 assists per game as he has become unplayable in some situations with his efficiency tanking. Combine that with the lack of defensive impact he provides, and Steve Kerr had to make some adjustments.
Despite his role changing, Curry expressed confidence that Poole would figure things out. Eventually, something would click and he would get back to playing at the level the team knows that he is capable of.
“So, it’s just a matter of sticking with it, because you’ll get rewarded in the big picture and especially because we do have a lot of confidence in what he provides for us and what he’s capable of doing,” Curry concluded.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole & Golden State Warriors Updates
Unfortunately for Curry, those sentiments were not fulfilled by Poole. In a pivotal Game 4 that the Warriors could not afford to lose, Poole had a performance to forget. He played only 10 minutes in the game, going 0-for-4 from the field.
In the second half, he entered the game for Curry with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter and the Warriors up 11. He turned the ball over with 3:32 remaining and was subbed out at the next timeout as that turnover helped start the Lakers’ run to get back into the game.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole & Golden State Warriors Updates
With Poole playing so poorly, even more of an onus has been put on Curry’s shoulders to carry the team’s backcourt. Poole’s ineffectiveness in the series is as big of a reason as any that the Warriors are currently down 3-1 as Golden State’s supporting cast has been outplayed on a nearly nightly basis by Los Angeles’ role players.
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