Golden State Warriors fans wouldn’t have been surprised with anything Jordan Poole did as the 24-year-old made his debut in a Washington Wizards jersey on Tuesday.
Playing against the NBL’s Cairns Taipans, the former Warrior guard showcased his scoring talents with 10 points in the opening seven minutes as the Wizards completely overwhelmed their inferior opponents.
The positive and negative aspects of Jordan Poole were on full display in his first game since departing the Golden State Warriors.
Starting at the two-guard next to another new Wizard in Tyus Jones, Poole began with a left corner catch-and-shoot three before exploding to the rim for a layup and nailing another triple minutes later.
By less than seven minutes into the first period, Poole had reached double-digits in what was a 29-14 start for the home team. They would go on to completely dominate the game, leading by 36 at half-time before eventually winning 145-82.
But while Poole’s dynamic scoring was on display, there were also similar moments to those that often left Warrior fans frustrated last season. He finished with 18 points on an efficient 6-13 shooting and 4-8 from deep, but there were a couple of ill-advised shots that are part and parcel of his game.
Despite not running the point, Poole did record an equal team-high three turnovers in his 20 minutes, while he also had the customary moments of lackadaisical defense. That’s probably being overly critical for a preseason game though, with Poole’s overall performance certainly a major positive for Wizards fans albeit against lesser opposition.
Another former Golden State guard, Ryan Rollins, got some late run in the fourth-quarter. The 21-year-old had six points, two rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes of play, yet appears to sit well down the pecking order of the Washington guards.
The Warriors sent Poole, Rollins, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and future draft assets to the Wizards for future hall-of-fame point-guard Chris Paul in a blockbuster trade on draft day in June.
