Former Wolverine Poole drops 30 in playoff debut
Jordan Poole was no stranger to the spotlight during his time in Ann Arbor.
In his third season as a pro for the Warriors, Poole came into his own in 2022, averaging over 22 points a game for the Western Conference's 3-seed, and in his playoff debut, his rise continued.
Facing the 6-seed Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Poole dropped 30 points, shooting 69-percent from the field and going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. An unbelievable game for anyone, but especially for a young guard in his first playoff appearance.
In his debut, the Milwaukee native scored 11 more points than any of his teammates on a team that rosters Stephen Curry, who only played 22 minutes due to injury precautions, and Klay Thompson.
"He doesn't lack confidence," Curry told ESPN. "That play (a euro-step late in the first half) embodied it. Because you just have the creativity and confidence in yourself to make that play. You don't second-guess yourself. You kind of live with the results, and we've done it for years, and he's stepping into that now. It's fun to see."
Poole's relentless, fearless offensive style is nothing new. It was his specialty at Michigan, and at times, for better or worse.
He, of course, was the shooter behind one of the most memorable March Madness moments in program history when, in 2018, he hit a buzzer-beat from the courtside seats to down Houston and send Michigan to the Sweet 16. Michigan would go on to lose in the National Championship to Villanova.
Poole was a true freshman role-playing sharpshooter off the bench when he made that shot. When he returned as a sophomore, he had lofty expectations to be a star for the Wolverines. He averaged the second-most points on the roster at 12.8, but his aggressive offensive style led to questions about his shot selection, selfish play, and in-game emotions.
His lack of size, strength and defensive play lessened his professional stock. So it came as a shock when Poole declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season.
But if you know Poole and you listened to his confidence, it was anything but shocking to see the at-the-time 19-year-old take a shot on himself.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr took a shot on Poole, drafting him with the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
At best, Poole was projected to go in the middle of the second round, and his decision to leave college early was questioned by draft pundits and fans alike.
NBADraft.net wrote in Poole's scouting report that "there are still some question marks about his maturity. A little wild emotionally, but could be in the perfect system to fall in line."
Kerr spotted an NBA weapon in the making when he shocked the teams behind Golden State by taking the former Wolverine at No. 28 overall.
Three years later, Poole is coming into his own as a pivotal piece to the Warriors' attainable title hopes.
"He's not afraid of the moment," Kerr said. "He's looking forward to it."
Poole has cemented himself as a starter for one of the NBA's few contenders for its league championship.
The Warriors will host the Nuggets for Game 2 on Monday at 10 p.m. EST.
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