Should the Wizards Jordan Poole be an All-Star?

Should Jordan Poole be an All-Star this season, despite abysmal play from the Washington Wizards overall? Yes and no, let me explain.

Poole is playing at an All-Star level. He's averaging 20.7 PPG this season while shooting 39.4% from three-point range. He put in the work in the offseason and did a great job taking the young guys under his wing, especially Bilal Coulibaly. His shot selection, while it still makes you itch at times, is much improved. He's using his speed to collapse opposing defenses and setting up shooters like Corey Kispert and Kyshawn George to eat on the outside.

Furthermore, Poole has improved on defense, an area where the whole team struggled. While no one is going to mistake Jordan Poole for being a lockdown defender, he has made strides in that department. So the question is, is he a fringe All-Star who is about to hit his prime, or is his stats inflated due to him being the number one option on a bad team?

It's no secret that the NBA All-Star game is a popularity contest, but team performance, or lack of it, is the key factor to getting a player in the All-Star game. There are many questions about the game, and improvements that could be made: Should the NBA copy the MLB model and let every team have a rep? That's another conversation for another time but is team performance the key factor in Poole not making it? Jordan Poole is a scoring-minded combo guard who can score at will but are his stats inflated due to being a featured option in Washington?

Maybe a little, but I see a player who has dealt with his fair share of criticism throughout this season and last and put his head down and worked. I saw a player who took his demotion last season to 6th man and thrived and when Tyus Jones went down with a back injury, Jordan Poole came in and took over. So are his stats inflated? Yes, to a certain degree, but you can't take away his body of work and being one of the bright spots of this team during a tough season.

Is Poole an All-Star? Yes. The same star quality that will prevent him from being so will be the same reason Poole is such a special player, he's a team player. Will he be one soon? If he continues to improve and invest in himself, yes, whether it's in Washington or somewhere else.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!