Warriors' Players and Coaches React To Jordan Poole Being Left Off Most Improved List
The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Playoffs this season and with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all healthy, this team has a real chance to win a title.
However, the difference maker for the Warriors this season has not been Curry, Thompson or Green. It has been third-year guard Jordan Poole.
After spending time in the G-League last season and almost being out of the league entirely at one point, Poole spent his entire offseason working on his craft and it has shown this year, as Jordan Poole averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 assists and shot 36.4% from three-point range during the regular season.
One of the most improved players in the entire NBA, Jordan Poole was somehow left off of the list of the three finalists for this year’s Most Improved Player award, leading to his teammates and coaches being just as puzzled as the rest of the NBA world.
“If Jordan Poole isn't the Most Improved Player, then the NBA really needs to relook at their process. Because you cannot find a guy on that list that has made a bigger improvement,” Draymond Green said. “I don't care. If he's not the Most Improved Player, then let's rename the award to … who we like the most, who we see as more electrifying, to who we see may have a bigger impact on our team.
“That’s not the name of the award, that’s actually the Most Valuable Player, and so if we’re talking about the Most Improved Player, and if the award was voted on based upon its name, then it’s a no-brainer who’s the Most Improved Player.”
Jordan Poole himself was asked about being left off the list of the three finalists for this year’s award, stating that “it is what it is.”
“Can’t really do too much about it now,” Poole said after the team’s shootaround on Monday. “I guess it wasn’t my decision to make to be honest. I think I did everything I could do.”
The young Warriors’ guard also went on to say that he is happy his team is still in the running and competing for a championship and that his mind is solely focused on helping his team win right now.
As for Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr, he also gave his thoughts on Jordan Poole missing out on this year’s Most Improved Player award.
“I know how much we value Jordan. He has been a rock for us all year,” Kerr said. “You just have to be able to rely on stability in this league and Jordan has become a stabilizer. He’s become a guy we can count on for scoring and shot creation every night, and the encouraging thing the other night in Game 1 was his defense was really much improved, and he really followed the game plan and was disciplined, and that’s his next step is to do that consistently. But yeah, we’re lucky to have JP.
“I’m sure his teammates are telling him that he got the short end of the stick on that one. But there are bigger fish to fry and he’s all in on winning, he understands that’s the main thing, but it would have been nice for him to be honored.”
The Warriors will take on the Nuggets in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday night, a game that Jordan Poole will look to follow up his 30-point performance from the other night with another spectacular display and potentially give his team a 2-0 series edge.
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