Jordan Poole knows that he needs to get on the court to get better. That’s why he’s not discouraged by the news that the Warriors will send him to Orlando, Fla. to play in the G League bubble.
Jordan Poole had the best game of his 2020-21 season Saturday night in the Warriors' 118-91 win over the Detroit Pistons by a long shot. The second-year pro played so well that his teammates were even vying for him to stay with them instead of joining the Santa Cruz Warriors in the Orlando G League bubble.
"Guys on the bench were yelling 'Cancel the flight!' " Steve Kerr said to reporters after the win. "He had a great night, really happy for Jordan. He's worked hard this last year and a half. It's so nice to see things come together for him, and see all his work pay off. I thought he was great and he really enjoyed himself out there.
"It was a good send off and a good chance for him now to play a lot of minutes in Orlando and continue his development."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
So, did Kerr cancel the flight?
"No," he said with a laugh," "he's still goin'."
Poole finished the night with a season-high 16 points. He shot 4-of-8 from the field, 3-for-6 from 3-point range and made all five of his free throws. The young guard also played a season-high 21 minutes.
The No. 28 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is joining fellow guard Nico Mannion on the Sea Dubs in Orlando. The two should get starter minutes, hoping to find bigger roles once they re-join Golden State.
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
RELATED: Klay jokes with Steph about Dray's pass hitting him in head
Poole has appeared in 15 of the Warriors' first 20 games this season. He's averaging 5.5 points per game, down from 8.8 last season, and just 9.5 minutes per game, which is down from 22.4 as a rookie. But his field goal percentage has gone from 33.3 to 42.6, and he went from shooting 27.9 percent from beyond the arc to 33.3 percent this season. He also has made 94.7 percent of his free throws.
The Warriors still have high hopes for Poole, who is only 21 years old, and believes getting more minutes in Orlando could pay off in major ways.