DALLAS — Jordan Poole looked to be having a breakout year. With consistent starts, Poole proved to be a dynamic scorer at the rim and a formidable threat from three. He was just what the Warriors needed next to Steph Curry with Klay Thompson still sidelined.
But since losing his starting role upon Thompson's return, and even a little before that, Poole has lost his rhythm and scorer's touch. With the Warriors playing some of their worst basketball this season, the team needs Poole to bounce back into the player he was earlier this year.
"You just gotta find a way to play through it," Poole said on Wednesday.
Golden State's sub-par play over the last month doesn't fall entirely on Poole — the team's league-best defense and flowing offense started to break down when Draymond Green got injured on Jan. 9. But this disappointing stretch of games has shed light on Poole's shortcomings, particular as Golden State has lost six of its last eight games. When defenses muzzle Curry, scorers like Poole haven't been able to generate the needed offense to keep opposing teams at bay.
Take Poole's performance in the Warriors' loss to Minnesota on Tuesday, when he air-balled two 3-pointers and managed 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting with one made 3-pointer. An unproductive performance in the Warriors' eventual 129-114 loss.
His performance against Dallas on Sunday was similarly concerning.
With a 21-point lead dissolving rapidly, head coach Steve Kerr played Poole for 19 choppy minutes overall. It all amounted to a rough game for the 22-year-old, who played five minutes of the final quarter with one shot attempted that was blocked. He went 0-for-4 from three and 0-for-7 from the field for the whole game.
"He's had a great year, and the other night, to me, means nothing," Kerr said this week. "That's just a tough night. But, you know, I could have done a better job trying to help him find a rhythm. Didn't play him enough in the first half probably."
Steph Curry pointed to an inconsistent role as a possible contributing factor to Poole's shakiness. Once a starter, pushed to a sixth man role, Poole hasn't been able to make the mental leap.
"He's been asked to do a lot of different things this year and he's coming into his own as an experienced player who has had some success and struggles," Curry said. "But honestly, making sure he's engaged, that's the biggest thing.
"No matter if he's making shots or not or how many minutes he's playing, staying engaged. Because he's going to help us win games when it matters. For him to be who he wants to be in this league, he has to have some versatility when it comes to playing different styles."
Poole paid little mind to his switch from starter to sixth man.
"As long as I'm out there playing," he said.
Poole, playing his third year in the NBA since the Warriors drafted him in 2019, shot 41% from the field and 26% from three in February, a significant dip from the 44% overall and 35% from three he shot through the end of January.
Kerr added that he "doesn't worry too much" about one game from a player, that he has all the faith in Poole based on his season overall, but Poole's recent skid goes far beyond these latest games.
Poole's struggles are in keeping with team struggles — he's just getting a little tough love, it seems. But the Warriors' success without Green may depend on Poole taking the tough love in stride.
"I think he's built for it and he's going to have something to show for it," Curry said.
