Just two seasons ago, guard Jordan Poole appeared to be a rising stud in the NBA. His hot shooting was a key factor in the Golden State Warriors winning their fourth world championship in eight seasons, and it looked like he would be a part of their core for a while.
But even after they gave him a four-year, $140 million extension just prior to the start of last season, they traded him to the Washington Wizards this past summer in the deal that brought them Chris Paul. Suddenly, Poole has gone from a good player to a questionable one with questionable qualities.
His numbers are way down to start this season. Through 14 games, he’s shooting just 39.5 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from 3-point range. But it gets even more than that — as of Nov. 21, he had the worst plus-minus of any player who was attempting at least 15 shots a game.
Plus/minus is a questionable stat, as it at least somewhat depends on who a player is on the court with. But when one’s plus-minus is this bad, there is at least something to it that must be taken away.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards Updates
Two seasons ago, Poole shot a solid 36.4 percent from downtown, and he increased that figure to 39.1 percent in 22 playoff games en route to the NBA title. While it isn’t unusual to see a young player such as him regress in his marksmanship, it is uncommon to see someone regress as much as he has.
Granted, he’s playing on a terrible Wizards team that has a 2-12 record and doesn’t really have any star players who can draw defensive attention and get him good looks from the outside. But shooting under 30 percent from deep is simply awful, no matter the circumstances.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards Updates
Luckily, Poole is only 24 years of age, so he has time to turn things around and become a quality player again.
