Tracy McGrady, winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001, shared his insights on Jordan Poole’s meteoric rise from playing in the G League to becoming a star for the Warriors.
Jordan Poole’s Warriors teammates had plenty to say when he wasn’t named a finalist for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award, and now Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is weighing in.
McGrady’s illustrious NBA career spanned 16 years and saw him earn countless accolades, but one of his first meaningful honors came in 2001 when he was named Most Improved Player after his fourth season in the league. Most recently, McGrady founded Ones Basketball League, a new one-on-one basketball league.
As someone who knows what it takes to win the award, McGrady shared his thoughts on Poole’s snub with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Grant Liffmann on the Dubs Talk podcast.
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“He’s improved so much,” McGrady said of Poole. “I mean, the guy was in the G League, wasn’t he? The guy was in the G League last year, and he’s one of the guys that’s carrying the Warriors right now in the playoffs.”
After a breakout regular season, Poole made a splash in his first NBA playoff series as a starter against the Denver Nuggets in the opening round. His historic performance helped Golden State advance to the Western Conference semifinals, and it all came after his third year as a pro, which saw him shut down doubters.
The 22-year-old guard played more minutes in 2021-22 than his first two seasons combined, averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists across 76 games. He finished the season as the NBA’s top free-throw shooter, beating out his teammate Steph Curry with a 92.5 percent mark from the foul line.
To go from a G League project to one of the Warriors’ top shooters deserves recognition, McGrady said, as does Poole’s fearless attitude in the face of this season’s challenges.
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“But he’s been doing that all season long,” he said. “I love his mindset. He’s aggressive. He’s a smart basketball player, and one of the most important things that you have to have is he’s not scared. He’s not scared of the moment. And he should have been a finalist for that.”
Poole missed out on Most Improved Player, but to no fault of his own. There will be plenty of opportunities for awards and recognition the young star will likely earn one day -- and McGrady’s long list of accomplishments is an example of all that could be possible.
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