Golden State Warriors: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

Jordan Poole (Pick #28 in the 2019 NBA Draft)

Though Jordan Poole is still a rookie and has only played 57 career games for the Warriors, he’s already proven to be one of the better first-round picks in recent team history.

Out of the University of Michigan, Poole was drafted late in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Known for his 3-point buzzer-beating shot to send the Wolverines to the Sweet 16 as a true freshman, “The Microwave” is a versatile, athletic guard.

To say the least, Poole had a rocky start in his debut season; in his first 24 games, a historically bad 25.8 shooting percentage and a series of DNP (Did not Play) games demoted Poole to the G-League squad in Santa Cruz.

Since his G-League stint, however, things have been looking up for the youngster.

Especially as a 20-year-old rookie, his confidence and aggressiveness is something to admire even though it oftentimes leads to impulsive shots and airballs.

And despite his poor shooting percentages, Poole has a nice-looking stroke that can get hot quick; something we’ve seen in his three separate 20-point games and 10 others with 15 or more points.

Considering his low draft status and a stellar start to his rookie year, Poole is one of the only bright spots for the organization this season; averaging 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, Poole is one of the better rookies in a relatively weak 2019 draft class.

Though it looks like Jordan Poole may have to sit behind the Splash Brothers for the foreseeable future, he provides a nice replacement to the injured Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the 2019-2020 season; and even when they come back, he’ll give the team much-needed depth for the injury-prone guards.

With an improved shot and more consistency to add along with his natural athleticism and versatility, Jordan Poole could very well turn into a game-changing player at some point in the future.