Game 56: Golden State Warriors (27-28) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (20-34) - 8:00PM

[Impuniti]

Watch your back Grizzlies

[Crazy-Canuck]

Wiggs is looking much more comfortable passing and looking for shooters off of curls. He was hitting poole at the right time the last few games. I wonder if Oubre goes back to playing with the second unit when he returns.

[The-Power]

Maybe he's more Tony Delk than anything?

Yall write off kids so fast, its crazy

Seriously though, Poole is pretty inconsistent but if he works hard to improve then he'll be a really good player. Shooting will become more consistent, he'll learn to keep his dribble alive and continue to understand better what works and what doesn't in a given situation. That alone, which doesn't even require a lot of improvement but rather experience, would make him a lot better already. Everything else is bonus.

Poole's touch (obvious looking at his floaters, and his FT%) and creativity (he already makes some advanced passing reads and scoring moves) can't be taught. Just like JTA's hustle, and Bazemore's goofiness – you either have it, or you don't.

[Mylie10]

Poole had some good passes last night. He also goes spas to often, but overall everything is slowing down a bit for him.

It’s funny about this thing called confidence....without it you’re lost....with it you have a chance...and if it really kicks in you can reach new heights.

It’s why I’m not even worried in the least about Wiseman.

[FNQ]

Maybe he's more Tony Delk than anything?

Yall write off kids so fast, its crazy

Seriously though, Poole is pretty inconsistent but if he works hard to improve then he'll be a really good player. Shooting will become more consistent, he'll learn to keep his dribble alive and continue to understand better what works and what doesn't in a given situation. That alone, which doesn't even require a lot of improvement but rather experience, would make him a lot better already. Everything else is bonus.

Poole's touch (obvious looking at his floaters, and his FT%) and creativity (he already makes some advanced passing reads and scoring moves) can't be taught. Just like JTA's hustle, and Bazemore's goofiness – you either have it, or you don't.

I liked Delk! Only problem was he had a super inconsistent 3 ball. And he couldn't play defense. I dont think that's writing him off at all.. guy played like 12 years in the league and was a scoring bench combo guard

Cant just say shooting will become more consistent... based on what? He's not missing short/long, he's often times missing left/right.. which typically means wildly inconsistent, not unlike Wiggins. Frankly if I thought he had that quality, and I did early on, I'd be saying he's a NBA starter type, with serious upside. But he doesn't, at least not yet. He uses quicks/handles to get where he needs to on the court, and can score from anywhere. That's the Delk I remember

[FNQ]

Poole had some good passes last night. He also goes spas to often, but overall everything is slowing down a bit for him.

It’s funny about this thing called confidence....without it you’re lost....with it you have a chance...and if it really kicks in you can reach new heights.

It’s why I’m not even worried in the least about Wiseman.

Wiseman seemed to get mopey when things worked against him, so I dunno about that. I hate those self-pity types.. write a blog about it or something. You have a job to do, get to it

[Ilovethebay]

Don’t know how soon Oubre is coming back but it’s obvious to me that he should sit behind Bazemore. Love the way the ball has been moving around with Baze in the lineup.

[The-Power]

Cant just say shooting will become more consistent... based on what? He's not missing short/long, he's often times missing left/right.. which typically means wildly inconsistent, not unlike Wiggins.

Based on the fact that shooting is a trainable skill that tends to improve over time – at least when it comes to repetitive shots, e.g. open catch-and-shoot 3's. Especially when we're talking about a 90% FT shooter, who also hits some impressive floaters and has shown the ability to hit difficult 3's off movement/without feet set – which is also where the Wiggins comparison falls flat. Poole also has improved already compared to his Rookie season.

I'm not saying Poole is definitely going to be an elite shooter but I don't see any reason to expect that he won't become a player that punishes teams for leaving him open. Maybe he remains somewhat inconsistent in the sense that he has relatively more frequent hotter and colder stretches, but I believe that if he'll end up being inconsistent he's going to be inconsistent around a fairly high level.

[GSWFan1994]

Poole had some good passes last night. He also goes spas to often, but overall everything is slowing down a bit for him.

It’s funny about this thing called confidence....without it you’re lost....with it you have a chance...and if it really kicks in you can reach new heights.

It’s why I’m not even worried in the least about Wiseman.

Sir, you should change your username to "Mytruth10".

[FNQ]

Cant just say shooting will become more consistent... based on what? He's not missing short/long, he's often times missing left/right.. which typically means wildly inconsistent, not unlike Wiggins.

Based on the fact that shooting is a trainable skill that tends to improve over time – at least when it comes to repetitive shots, e.g. open catch-and-shoot 3's. Especially when we're talking about a 90% FT shooter, who also hits some impressive floaters and has shown the ability to hit difficult 3's off movement/without feet set – which is also where the Wiggins comparison falls flat. Poole also has improved already compared to his Rookie season.

I'm not saying Poole is definitely going to be an elite shooter but I don't see any reason to expect that he won't become a player that punishes teams for leaving him open. Maybe he remains somewhat inconsistent in the sense that he has relatively more frequent hotter and colder stretches, but I believe that if he'll end up being inconsistent he's going to be inconsistent around a fairly high level.

The ability to hit said shots is directly related to the willingness to take them in the first place. I dont think it separates him from Wiggins other than the idea that Wiggins has more of a conscience when shooting. He doesnt make them enough for it to be considered a positive at all - if we encouraged Wiggins to take those kinds of shots, how many would he need to make for it to be a positive thing?

He could also be a Rip Hamilton - someone who's a lethal shooter to a certain range but as soon as you get just slightly outside that range, the percentages drop a ton. Which makes sense because if he was a college marksman but didnt go out to NBA level 3s, he might have level-set in his mind what a 3pt shot distance is, and has to re-learn it at the NBA level. But thats all hypothetical. What we know right now, is that at range, he has a very inconsistent shot, and I dont recall a lot of players correcting the left/right issue over the course of their careers. Most just slightly improve their %s from their rookie years, but dont become consistently great shooters

Brad Beal is probably the best example of that. He can stripe when he's on and in rhythm, but in other cases, he's just an average distance shooter. Now if Poole got a lot more minutes with Curry and Dray, he probably could get in that rhythm.. but we're so averse to playing that unit for long stretches.

[and1GS]

With Poole, I'd be surprised if the consistency came. However, where I'm intrigued is in his potential to be much more. He's taking re-locate threes and shown plenty of passing/playmaking flashes. If he can evolve those types of aspects he's a useful player at all times...except when we need defense but that's a different discussion.

[The-Power]

The ability to hit said shots is directly related to the willingness to take them in the first place. I dont think it separates him from Wiggins other than the idea that Wiggins has more of a conscience when shooting. He doesnt make them enough for it to be considered a positive at all - if we encouraged Wiggins to take those kinds of shots, how many would he need to make for it to be a positive thing?

While I understand your point, I think it's a bit backwards. I would argue that there is a reason why Poole does and is probably encouraged to take these shots and that's because he's a more versatile shooter. As mentioned before, just look at their respective FT% to see which player has a better shooting touch on repetitive shots, i.e. shots whose parameters do not change.

He could also be a Rip Hamilton - someone who's a lethal shooter to a certain range but as soon as you get just slightly outside that range, the percentages drop a ton. Which makes sense because if he was a college marksman but didnt go out to NBA level 3s, he might have level-set in his mind what a 3pt shot distance is, and has to re-learn it at the NBA level.

It's not impossible re: first part, although I will note two things. First, I think a lot of that is about emphasis placed on the shot, and Poole clearly knows the importance of the shot and takes them (Hamilton did not, DeRozan does not). Second, Poole has shown no hesitation to take shots even a couple feet behind the NBA line, so I do not think he had to ‘re-learn’ the range in terms of his mindset.

But thats all hypothetical. What we know right now, is that at range, he has a very inconsistent shot, and I dont recall a lot of players correcting the left/right issue over the course of their careers. Most just slightly improve their %s from their rookie years, but dont become consistently great shooters

True, it is inconsistent right now and I wouldn't bet on him becoming a legitimately great shooter (though I wouldn't completely rule it out either). The question is how we define consistency, which leaves me at...

Brad Beal is probably the best example of that. He can stripe when he's on and in rhythm, but in other cases, he's just an average distance shooter. Now if Poole got a lot more minutes with Curry and Dray, he probably could get in that rhythm.. but we're so averse to playing that unit for long stretches.

... this part.

If the argument is that Poole won't be a better or more consistent – however defined – shooter than Beal, or Devin Booker to use another example, then I won't challenge that. I would consider both to be good shooters, though; not elite, not super consistent, but still a threat and vested with versatile shot-making ability.

[shazam_guy]

Poole improved so much over the last part of last year and the first part of this year that I find it utterly astounding to suggest he's now peaked. How would anyone know? I'm not suggesting he's going to turn into an All-Star, but he may well keep improving. He's certainly proved that he isn't the flop half the board or more were calling him last year, so let's see what he becomes. Too many people on this board are willing to ship out all the young talent way too early for vets, or mortgage the franchise for a star free agent.

Free agents are always a two-edged sword. We got great stuff out of Durant but also threw our payroll/team balance out of whack for years by signing him. Net plus, yes, but they don't always turn out that way. I say be very careful about bringing anyone in who's going to cost good young players. I know this is heretical, but much as we want another chip, the team also has to think about what it will have after Curry, Klay, and Dray are done.

Cue the "Must win now!" screamers.