Jordan Poole's Growth as Wizards Leader, Told Through Instagram

Jordan Poole's second year in Washington finished as the best statistical season of his career, as well as his personal redemption in the eyes of the NBA's fanbase.

He's experienced some of the wildest peaks and valleys of any player in the league at just 25, going directly from an all-time high point in helping the Golden State Warriors win the 2022 championship, right into being embroiled in one of the more drama-filled storylines we've seen from a pair of teammates.

Draymond Green sucker punched him on camera right before the start of the following season, and his efficiency dip made Golden State's decision on who to keep at that season's end a little easier. He ended up in Washington as a sudden go-to scorer, but struggled in a lower-usage role than he was accustomed to.

It wasn't until this year when the Wizards helped Poole fully realize the best version of himself. He thrived as the alpha on the court, and leaned into playing the role of team veteran behind the scenes. Poole has been through more than most players have by his age, and leveraged his experience into coming on as a fan favorite.

His recent Instagram post seems to validate his acceptance of DC and the rebuilding team that plays there, a 17-part photo dump full of pictures framing Poole as an interconnected, uniting man of the city. He has pictures with nearly every rotational Wizard from their final, post-trade deadline leg of the season, a stretch in which their growth resulted in some spirited wins and inspiring developments.

On the court and in the post, everything the Wizards do starts with Poole. He's there to provide spacing for young guys still finding their footing in the league like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington, each of which make appearances in the gallery.

They aren't accustomed to wins, having yet to crack 20 victories in either of the seasons Poole's played in Washington, but his pedigree as someone who's learned from the best and his transition from a microwave bench guard into a full-time table-setter, scorer and shooter have made him necessary in providing lessons to the young core when wins can't be bought.

His occasionally audacious shot diet feels that much more warranted when he's as effective as he was this past season. Poole hoisted over nine threes a night on 37.8% efficiency from deep, helping his true shooting reach an above-average 59.1%.

Top 30 Shooters: The Finale https://t.co/xyBSlljtfG pic.twitter.com/3kkfQe2FTB
— Automatic (@automaticnba) April 14, 2025

He's also seen pictured with veterans like Khris Middleton and Anthony Gill, some of his fellow, more seasoned vets who have some perspective to provide on how to win, in Middleton's case, and how to sustain in the league like Gill has.

Poole's reputation as a connective piece stems to his first campaign as a Wizard, when reports came out about the effort he quickly made in showing then-rookie Bilal Coulibaly the ropes in the pros. His on-court leadership took a little longer to come along, and after another year he's proven himself a linchpin in Washington's attempt at slowly growing their own version of what some of the league's contenders are doing with their own homegrown product.

It may not show on the nights where his threes aren't falling, but amidst a season that's being lauded for the progress we saw from Washington's prospects, a lot of those silver linings would have been impossible without Poole. The trigger-happy guard, criticized for his occasional lack of self-awareness, seems to understand his situation perfectly.

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