Jump into the Poole Party: The Official Jordan Poole Thread

[doclinkin]

this happened the day before
[before the punching incident]

now the next day they practicing
but everybody's not practicing
Klay is on the side getting shots up
down the other court

Looney young boy is Jordan P right
Looney's big big dog his big homie is Draymond Green
so before practice started Looney whispered to a player and said
hey man something's up with Draymond right now man
his energy don't seem right man
he going through something
he looked different today

they said Draymond mentally wasn't being Draymond right
you know Draymond is that loud [ __ ]
"who getting they ass busted today? yeah come on"
they said he wasn't on that today right
he was different
he wasn't Draymond Green today

they said draymond's balling in practice
draymond's talking [ __ ]
well unfortunately Jordan P ain't saying [ __ ]
so draymond's trying to get his di back
but p is like
no I'm good I know what you're trying to do I'm good
I won yesterday I don't need to win no more
I won yesterday, sorry not gonna do it

right so Jordan poole is not really actually entertaining Draymond
you know Draymond got this energy that he needs to get out
but Jordan P ain't entertaining it

In the video Gil makes the point that Jordan wasn't even playing against Draymond at the time. Draymond went out of his way to get in his face. Poole pushed him back, Draymond snapped and hit him with the superman punch that knocked him out. Then Draymond went into the locker room and Iguodala found him crying. Something about drama with his baby mama. His excuse for why he was out of his mind.

Apparently Poole played it cool. When he woke up he called his agent:

[Iggy? went] outside the locker room
"Jordan you okay hey man like call your agent"
Jordan's like
[ __ ] I already did
I need to get to the money
they said he start yell at Bob Myers
I want my money my agent will be calling you
[ __ ] let's get the deal done
I want my money

yeah so and {iggy] was like
yo you all right?

Jordan: yeah now he put me to sleep
oh that was a good one
oh yeah he got me but I'm good
[ __ ] now that I know I'm about to get paid
they got to pay me now they gotta pay me now right
[after] that like this they gotta pay me

um so Jordan p and his agent used this leverage against Bob Meyers to get paid
which is smart I mean BR I mean it it was brilliant
it was a disaster that went beautiful for him
um so he didn't do nothing
like Jordan P didn't do anything wrong
we gonna put that there Jordan P didn't do anything wrong

[doclinkin]

I wanted to kind of like throw
a player's perspective

draymond's wrong
hands down
you you're the big homie to the young fella
you shouldn't be hitting him period
that's just that's frowned upon
the big man hitting the little man
you just don't do it
you're supposed to have more control than that

and now this is the problem of the rest of the season
obviously you got paid
but mentally right you're not playing well
at times they're cordial but you know
you know Jordan is not going to accept no apologies and [ __ ]

they said Jordan P quit a few times during the season like
I'm done
I don't give a [ __ ] about none of this
just trade me man
let me go to another team
y'all can keep the big three
and you know
let me go on my way

he checked out
which you know it's understandable
like you know curry, Klay,
they couldn't really say
come on man we trying to win
they understand it
so now you see why Bob Meyers stepped down
they did Jordan poole a favor
like you know what
you know Jordan's a good kid
his Swagger on the court is not his personality
he's quiet
draymond's personality is to basically maximize everybody's buttons
you know
we running a mile four days in a row
that fourth day's when you need draymond's voice like
come on man [ __ ] that [ __ ]

so they they realize if draymond's here
Jordan P probably mentally won't be here
[ __ ] if Curry and Clay's here
Jordan P don't want to be a third option anyway
so we're gonna do Jordan p a favor
and put him somewhere where he gets to go be himself
he deserves that

I think where they first messed up
was letting Draymond back that year
but they're the defending Champions right
so you know you want to try to salvage what you can salvage
to see if you can go back to back

but right
human nature should have told them that this season's done
they should have just let Draymond go
I don't mean like let him go like cut him
but like: stay home

everything he's done so far, you can stay home with pay
but I I don't want you in this environment anymore
I need the locker room to be clear
because remember it's the enforcer who [ __ ] up
so now you can see everybody else is timid now
they don't really want to do much
like
I don't want my face knocked into tomorrow
him being there
every time he opened his mouth

it should have been one of those things where they just let him go home
you know like talk to a therapist
figure out what's really going on what's deep down inside
and really understand
how you [ __ ] up what you [ __ ] up

like it was too easy for him to start to Play and play
and just think the play was going to let it go
and he didn't have to really deal with it emotionally

if you talk to Draymond man he knows when he [ __ ] up sometimes
it's just hard to explain
you [ __ ] up sometimes you know to swallow that [ __ ]
especially when you the person who's supposed to be protecting everybody
once he realized what he did, he was all eaten up inside like
damn damn why' I do that to a young fellow
now this person don't respect me
this person don't respect me
and the more violent he would try to get
you lose
you lose your teammate

so they should they should have let him go
so he shouldn't be coming back this year
and let P just play freely mentally without the backlash or the memory of it

(Though it was a contract year for Dray, so that would have meant he would have never been signed to that contract.)

[doclinkin]

Anyway. It jibes with my impression. Which comes from various other player's comments. Which is all we have to go on. Green's narrative or that of the others in the locker room. I'd trust the impressions of Klay or Iggy over whatever comes out of Green's mouth.

Especially since Jordan Poole has said absolutely nothing about any of it. As far as I'm concerned he has handled it about as well as he could have, in public, despite whatever he was feeling internally. Likewise behind the scenes, it sounds like. Gil says he heard Poole "took it like a champ" was even laughing about it. And then sure, he used the leverage from the incident to get paid, which is smart business. But it's not like he was going to forgive Green or trust him again. Especially when Dray KEEPS BRINGING IT BACK UP and alluding to the idea that somehow it was Poole's fault. That Poole deserved any of that.

The media keeps nipping at him about it, trying to make more news out of something that happened a year ago. The only way Poole gets past that is if he makes a new story by tearing a hole in the league. I hope he will come out focused and fired up and writes a new chapter. Yes it is a loss that he has to be exiled from a perennial championship contender. That has to hurt. When all he did was come back at Dray and give back what he was taking-- at the urging of his coach. Or so this version of the story goes. But whatever really happened Poole has done nothing but be honorable about the shxt. Not snitching, not blowing up Dray, nor taking blame, but keeping quiet about it. This kid deserves a redemption story. Hell this team and its fans do as well.

[Frichuela]

Draymond comes across as such an ass****.

But thanks to this incident, we ended up basically trading prima Donna Beal for 24-year old Poole (+additional stuff). I’m excited at watching Jordan tear up the league this year. Fingers crossed!

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

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[FAH1223]

Watch on YouTube

[BearlyBallin]

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Now this would be nice …

[nate33]

The James Harden comparison is interesting.

Harden got traded to Houston prior to his 4th year after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented OKC squad. The assumption was that he would thrive in a starting role, but nobody expected him to break out and be one of the 10 best offensive players of all time. Starting his first season in Houston, he made it to 14 consecutive All-Star games, and was All-NBA in 7 out of the next 8 seasons.

Jordan Poole got traded to Washington prior to his 5th season after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented Golden State squad. The assumption is that he will thrive in a starting role...

[penbeast0]

The James Harden comparison is interesting.

Harden got traded to Houston prior to his 4th year after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented OKC squad. The assumption was that he would thrive in a starting role, but nobody expected him to break out and be one of the 10 best offensive players of all time. Starting his first season in Houston, he made it to 14 consecutive All-Star games, and was All-NBA in 7 out of the next 8 seasons.

Jordan Poole got traded to Washington prior to his 5th season after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented Golden State squad. The assumption is that he will thrive in a starting role...

I'd go more "hope" than "assumption." Harden had value around the league, Poole was widely seen as a major negative with his contract and basically more a Colin Sexton or Anfernee Simons type than a star in waiting. I'd love to see it.

[payitforward]

I wish I thought the Harden <> Poole comparo held water, I really do! But, I fear that expectations of that kind will lead to disappointment & unnecessary criticism.

In '11-12, his third year in the NBA, James Harden was already one of the 10 best guards in the league. He started, played 32 minutes per game, & posted a .66 TS%.

Harden's a PITA, to be sure, but he's also a first ballot HOF player. He's one of the greatest scoring guards in NBA history.

BTW, Jordan did not have a very good season in 2022-23. His numbers were way down from '21-22 -- his only respectable season so far.

[Dat2U]

Jordan Poole will turn out to be the best acquistion this year by far for the Wizards future. I do forsee a breakout and him averaging at least 25+ ppg this year along with a very long highlight reel. He's next in a line of all-star Wizards PGs from Arenas to Wall to the burgeoning Poole Party. The skill level is off the charts and he has the freedom to play his game here and truly express his artistry. We know the confidence isn't lacking. Its lost on me what he did in the Warriors playoff run in 2022. I thought then he was going to be a future star at the time. A few words & a punch to the face changed everything. He's no longer surrounded by legends and he can truly step into the lead role here. To be honest he's the type of guy we needed along Beal & KP but we all recognize moving Beal had to be done to properly reset. I would have liked to see KP with this group but it wasn't meant to be and it may have pulled us in that play-in range which isn't ideal.

I also think the Poole & Kuzma synergy will be crazy. Kuz's problem is plays beyond his skill level at times but he's a fantastic passer and truly worked to become a 'point forward' at 6-10. He also showed improved effort & (consistency on the defensive end and comes into the season as arguably the team's best defender.

The team is light on talent and shot creators but I expect Poole and Kuz to excel in their new roles. Tyus should fit in nicely offensively as shot maker and tiertary creator. An aggressive Kispert & rim running Gafford makes it a very competent offensive unit. There's little defense to be found and not much offense beyond the starting group but I think did jump start their rebuild with the Poole acquistion.

[Frichuela]

Jordan Poole will turn out to be the best acquistion this year by far for the Wizards future. I do forsee a breakout and him averaging at least 25+ ppg this year along with a very long highlight reel. He's next in a line of all-star Wizards PGs from Arenas to Wall to the burgeoning Poole Party. The skill level is off the charts and he has the freedom to play his game here and truly express his artistry. We know the confidence isn't lacking. Its lost on me what he did in the Warriors playoff run in 2022. I thought then he was going to be a future star at the time. A few words & a punch to the face changed everything. He's no longer surrounded by legends and he can truly step into the lead role here. To be honest he's the type of guy we needed along Beal & KP but we all recognize moving Beal had to be done to properly reset. I would have liked to see KP with this group but it wasn't meant to be and it may have pulled us in that play-in range which isn't ideal.

I also think the Poole & Kuzma synergy will be crazy. Kuz's problem is plays beyond his skill level at times but he's a fantastic passer and truly worked to become a 'point forward' at 6-10. He also showed improved effort & (consistency on the defensive end and comes into the season as arguably the team's best defender.

The team is light on talent and shot creators but I expect Poole and Kuz to excel in their new roles. Tyus should fit in nicely offensively as shot maker and tiertary creator. An aggressive Kispert & rim running Gafford makes it a very competent offensive unit. There's little defense to be found and not much offense beyond the starting group but I think did jump start their rebuild with the Poole acquistion.

Yes, I want to share the Poole optimism. I think odds are this trade is gonna work for us. This front office took advantage of Golden State cap and team chemistry issues and bought pretty low on Poole.

Heck, at face value, I rather have 24-yr old Poole than 30-year old prima Donna Beal…

[nate33]

The James Harden comparison is interesting.

Harden got traded to Houston prior to his 4th year after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented OKC squad. The assumption was that he would thrive in a starting role, but nobody expected him to break out and be one of the 10 best offensive players of all time. Starting his first season in Houston, he made it to 14 consecutive All-Star games, and was All-NBA in 7 out of the next 8 seasons.

Jordan Poole got traded to Washington prior to his 5th season after two very good seasons as a prolific 6th man on a talented Golden State squad. The assumption is that he will thrive in a starting role...

I'd go more "hope" than "assumption." Harden had value around the league, Poole was widely seen as a major negative with his contract and basically more a Colin Sexton or Anfernee Simons type than a star in waiting. I'd love to see it.

For the record, I'm not predicting Poole will be as good as Harden. Harden is one of the best offensive players of all time and in the conversation for MVP for half a decade. I'm just saying that it's not out of the realm of possibility that Poole makes a huge leap in his new role and emerges as a passable first option scorer on par with other combo guards like 2008 Gilbert Arenas, 2022 Donovan Mitchell, 2020 Bradley Beal or 2017 Kyrie Irving.

Obviously, as a combo guard with bad defense, the upside is limited. You can't win a championship with even the idealized version of Poole as your best player.

[penbeast0]

Certainly not out of the question and I'm hoping he does great. If we move Tyus and Poole develops real PG skills to go with the scoring, All-Star status is reasonable. As a 2 guard, his ceiling is a bit limited to Brad Beal type status by his size and lack of defense.

[DCZards]

I think the poised, low-turnover, vocal leader Jones is the perfect antidote to the aggressive, devil-may-care offensive mentality of Poole. I’m really looking forward to the Poole-Jones backcourt and have high long-term expectations for it….assuming the Zards can resign Tyus.

I also expect Jones to be able to help reign in Kuz’s ill-advised decision making on offense and help make him a better, more efficient offensive player.

[doclinkin]

I rather have 24-yr old Poole than 30-year old prima Donna Beal…

I even like a 24 yr old prima donna Poole. He has a swagger that will be entertaining to watch. As good as Beal is, his game was always functional and solid but somehow rarely compelling. It says something that Kuzma stole the spotlight from him, despite being a far less efficient player at his position. Style points are not awarded on the scoreboard, but they are sneakily awarded by referees. It's stupid but If Brad had better highlights he likely would have been treated with more respect and gotten the whistle on his behalf more often. Which would result in less sulking, bad body language etc. Which translates again to better calls. Nobody likes to be shown up at work.

Brad seems like a sincerely good dude. Putting in the work on court off court and in his personal beliefs/social works. For whatever reason though he never seemed to have the same sizzle as Wall or Arenas. Starpower matters. It brings people to the arena, translates to ratings, national broadcasts, ticket sales, jersey sales, louder crowds, etc. Carries gravity, respect.

Poole, who knows. Teammates suggested he was a good dude, maybe sometimes immature or cocky. But overall hard working and respectful. But he comes here with a backstory. Redemption arc and motivation to shut people up to give them something else to talk besides that one clip from last offseason. Nobody roots for a bully, he's the underdog cast off, ready for a montage of highlights. That part of the story writes itself if he can just play up to his talent level.

He's going to get all the opportunities he needs though. Beal and Porzingis put up 30+ shots per game. We added nobody else who can make their own shots. It's Poole and the role-players. Tyus Jones can make everyone else look good. We have players who work well off the ball and can force teams to stay with their match-up or else we hit 3's, backdoor dunks, lob finishes to Gafford. I like our chances to play good team ball all around Poole. Then he can freelance and improvise within the structure. He's going to put up points, even if he is inefficient at it. Highlights won't show the misses or over ambitious turnovers from driving into traffic.

Which makes me wonder about Kuzma. I'm skeptical, personally, about the synergy between the two. Kuz as the nominal captain seems problematic, unless by his nature he is more comfortable playing the glue guy role and does not feel like he is required to do too much to prove it. IF he matches the energy of a guy like Tyus Jones instead of the hunger for the spotlight shown by Poole. One way leads to team play, and wins, the other to turnovers and gunning your way through cold streaks.

Likewise, IF Poole can pick up some of what Tyus Jones does naturally, his upside is significantly higher. If Poole can learn about setting up players and learning their strengths and making the smart decisions, if he can pick up the captainship skills the same way he imitated the work ethic of Stef and Klay. Then yeah he has another level to grow. Meanwhile I don't hate having Tyus signed here, now or even long term. I personally am not trying to shop him. Sign him if we can, shop him if he looks unlikely to stay. To me Tyus with the ball will determine a great deal of how Kuz and Poole play this year, and if either can channel their notable talents towards winning offense.

Its either that or hey, sometimes chemistry happens. Never know. Both Poole and Kuz have shown high variance in their efficiency. Streakiness. Both tend to try to shoot to get hot. Maybe a statistically improbable streak shows up and sustains for a while, inspiring each other to play out-o-they-minds. If so that will be damn fun to watch, whichever way.

[doclinkin]

I think the poised, low-turnover, vocal leader Jones is the perfect antidote to the aggressive, devil-may-care offensive mentality of Poole. I’m really looking forward to the Poole-Jones backcourt and have high long-term expectations for it….assuming the Zards can resign Tyus.

I also expect Jones to be able to help reign in Kuz’s ill-advised decision making on offense and help make him a better, more efficient offensive player.

What Zards said, in far fewer words.

[wewillnevertank]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38549013/nbarank-2023-best-players-2023-24-100-51

Interesting to see Poole ranked at 72, below the following:

-RJ Barrett
-Austin Reaves
-Fred VanVleet

Seems weird to me he's not ranked higher than those three, but he did have a disappointing season last year. The decision to put Reaves on this pedestal seems entirely a result of playing in a bigger market and next to an all-time great in leBron.

[nate33]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38549013/nbarank-2023-best-players-2023-24-100-51

Interesting to see Poole ranked at 72, below the following:

-RJ Barrett
-Austin Reaves
-Fred VanVleet

Seems weird to me he's not ranked higher than those three, but he did have a disappointing season last year. The decision to put Reaves on this pedestal seems entirely a result of playing in a bigger market and next to an all-time great in leBron.

Poole in the 2021-22 season was better than Reaves. Last year, he wasn't as good, and in particular, he was disinterested defensively.

If we get the Poole from 2 years ago - plus some moderate improvement one would expect from a 24-year-old, he should be better than Reaves.

[payitforward]

...If we get the Poole from 2 years ago - plus some moderate improvement one would expect from a 24-year-old....

This is exactly what we should be aiming at. &, obviously, the bigger that improvement the better.