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Steph Curry Breaks Down Jordan Poole's Struggles
Steph Curry got off to a great start in Game 1 against Boston, setting an NBA Finals record with 21 points in the opening frame. Both his 21 points and his 6 threes in that first frame were an NBA Finals record for a single quarter, and while Steph finished with an efficient 34 points, it was not enough to overcome Boston's red hot shooting.
A big reason why Golden State was unable to grab a victory in this one, was the poor play of Jordan Poole. A known subpar defender, Poole has been able to remain a positive asset for Golden State in the playoffs due to his offensive proficiency; however, when that begins to waver, his impact quickly becomes negative. That happened in this one, with Poole posting a game-worst -19 plus/minus in 25 minutes of play.
Steph Curry was asked after the game about Poole's struggles, and said, "You compare the numbers that he's capable of, the way that he can play-make and all that, it's tough when you're switching series, trying to feel out how a team is gonna guard him, and just making the right reads and slowing down a little bit. It's his first Finals game, there's a lot of adrenaline, a lot of nerves and all that. He'll settle in, and we'll all play better Game 2."
Throughout the playoffs, Golden State has primarily received steady contributions from players outside of Curry, and when coupled with the dominant run he has been on, it has led them to the game's biggest stage. That consistent help outside of Steph was not present in this game, with nobody other than Wiggins scoring more than 15 points. When compared to Boston, who had four players score at least 18 points, Golden State was simply not good enough on the margins to win this game.
While a Game 1 loss is not enough reason to panic, there are some significant adjustments that the Warriors must make to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole heading back to Boston. Both Steph and the rest of the team seem to recognize what these adjustments are, and it will be up to them to make sure they implement these changes in Sunday's crucial Game 2.
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