Poole no longer luxury, now a necessity for the Warriors

It’s a curious dynamic, that exists between Warriors coach Steve Kerr and ambitious young guard Jordan Poole. There has been just enough strife to suggest elements of a classic power struggle or at least a frequent battle of wills.

Poole wants what he believes his talent warrants. He’s strong-willed, hard-working and aware of his star-quality gifts. His confidence, at 22, often strolls the border of irrational.

Kerr wants Poole to earn his status the old-fashioned way, with a few more expressions of humility to balance his audacity.

But Poole, even with his very visible flaws, is a difference-maker. That much was on display again, for the third consecutive game, Monday night in Denver, where he was a source of hope for the acutely overmatched Warriors in a 131-124 loss to the Nuggets.

Poole played 34 minutes, finishing with 32 points, on 11-of-19 shooting, including 8-of-12 from deep, and seven assists. He was imperfect, with five turnovers and a couple defensive miscues, but the Warriors would have been roundly destroyed without him.

Three of those turnovers came in the first eight minutes, as the Warriors tried to establish their offense.

“He just stayed with it,” Kerr said. “The first quarter, he was frustrated. Things weren’t going his way. He just stayed with it, stayed aggressive and kept us in the game. He was fantastic.”

Of the early turnovers, Poole chalked them up in the things-that-happen column.

“You got to have a short memory,” he said.

He does. Poole did all of his scoring over the final three quarters, with 21 points in the second half. He came out of the locker room for the third quarter and in less than three minutes immediately stirred notions of a comeback.

After feeding Moses Moody for an and-1 to give the Warriors a one-point lead, Poole drained a 3-ball to put them up four, shot a dime to Kevon Looney to push the lead to six and then countered three Denver buckets with back-to-back triples for an 83-77 lead with 9:27 left in the third quarter.

“I just continued to play my game,” Poole said. “And just got going.”

That’s Poole. The short memory. The persona of infallibility. The faith that never wavers. He is one of those players every scout dreams about. Quick first step? Check. Ability to create for himself and others? Check. Embraces the big moments? Absolutely. The tools of any truly special Sixth Man.

"It’s really fun to play with a guy like JP,” Moody said. “Somebody that’s not afraid to take those shots, make or miss. A lot of guys will shy away from the moment. Maybe if their shot’s not falling, they don’t want to shoot, don’t want to get to the goal.

“But, nah, whether his shot is falling or not, he’s getting after it. We need that.”

It’s all part of the package that makes him the player he is, one of only four Warriors with the tools and pluck to be a game-changer. The others – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson – have championship jewelry. 

Play them together in specific situations, and it’s a headache for any opponent.

Play them late in a close game, the Warriors will have three 90-percent free throw shooters on the floor and defenders will be scrambling to keep up.

“He’s come so far, and what’s exciting to me is he can get even better,” Kerr said. “This was a great effort tonight. He’s had a tremendous season. We’ve got to keep pushing him to keep getting better and keep improving in all facets.”

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Kerr pointed out that Poole, like the rest of the roster, has endured highs and lows this season but never lost confidence. That the whole has been satisfying.

“He’s grown up quite a bit,” Kerr concluded.

Poole is ready to provide something the Warriors don’t have in excess. Maybe not as ready as he thinks he is, but ready enough to play with the big boys. He’s not a luxury but, at this point, a necessity.