Wizards Coach Defends 'Underrated' Guard

The Washington Wizards guard is overlooked amongst the NBA.

Dec 7, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) yells at an official as Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) looks on in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole catches a lot of flak for being the best player on the worst team in the NBA.

It's a role that has to go to someone, and this year, that responsibility falls on Poole's shoulders. While Poole has experienced being part of a championship roster like he did with the Golden State Warriors, he has had to adjust to life as a No. 1 option for the Wizards for the past two years.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe spoke briefly about the change in role and how a player evolves through that.

“Jordan doesn't get enough credit," Keefe said after the Wizards lost to the Memphis Grizzlies. "They were completely ignoring everybody else and we got some easy rolls and some easy baskets, some easy kicks out of the corner because they were so focused on Jordan. You know that's when you're the main guy on the team, you get a lot of attention. That helped us.”

Poole is on top of the opposing team's depth chart on most nights, and rightfully so. The 25-year-old guard is averaging a team-high 20.4 points and 5.0 assists while shooting north of 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

In the team's win over the weekend against the Denver Nuggets, Poole was excellent, scoring a team-high 39 points to help his team snap a 16-game losing streak.

Poole doesn't pump those performances out consistently enough to be a top option for a playoff team, but he is playing his part well doing the same thing for the Wizards as they go through their rebuild.

The more Poole shows, the more he helps the Wizards either proving himself as someone worth keeping in the long run or building enough value to be included in a helpful trade down the line.

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