Jordan Poole’s breakout right on time for the Golden State Warriors

Jordan Poole has been on a tear to close the season.

Poole is averaging a career-high 18.2 points this season, and over the last 15 games, he has raised that number to 26.8.

With Steph Curry out and Klay Thompson not quite back to pre-injury form, the Golden State Warriors have stumbled to a 3-7 record in their last ten games, and risk slipping out of the top three in the West. Despite the struggles, Poole has been a bright spot heading into the playoffs and could be key to a deep playoff run.

Jordan Poole’s breakout has come at the right time for the Golden State Warriors

In Curry’s absence, Jordan Poole has been the focal point of the Warriors offense. In addition to his scoring, Poole has dished 5.5 assists over the last 15 games, which is well above his career average of 2.8. His dimes have been special, too:

Poole’s breakout has come just when the Warriors needed it. When Steph Curry returns to the lineup, Jordan Poole will provide a lethal second or third option as Curry bends defenses. The Nuggets have struggled defensively recently, but watch this clutch sequence from Poole here:

In the first play, Thompson clears the weakside corner to bring the help defender out of the pick-and-roll action. When Poole and Curry’s defenders attempt to trap Curry – a common occurrence for Steph – Poole flares out to the wing for a wide-open three-pointer. It looks like a defensive breakdown, but in truth, it’s excellent play design leveraging Denver’s overcompensation for the Warriors’ famed Splash Brothers.

On the second three, Denver again attempts to trap Curry. Thompson and Curry provide so much spacing that a three-on-two advantage springs up for Wiggins, Poole, and Looney, and when Denver picks up the ball-handler (Wiggins) and lob threat (Looney), Poole is left open again for a big-time shot.

Poole provides the elite third-scoring option the Warriors have been missing since KD’s departure. I am not implying Poole is as good of a scorer as Kevin Durant, but simply having a third player who can shoot lights out from deep and create scoring opportunities in space opens up so much for the Warriors’ offense.

Don’t get me wrong – the Warriors will need Steph Curry to return to the lineup if they’ll have any hope of making a deep playoff run. But once Curry returns, Poole makes the Warriors an elite offense that can manufacture points even as the playoff intensity turns up.

In Curry, Thompson, and Poole lineups this season (129 mins in 19 games), the Warriors have posted a 121.7 offensive rating (32.6 net) per NBA.com. If we get all three healthy in the postseason, they’ll be able to make some real noise.

The Warriors’ record hasn’t shown it lately, but they are a real threat to win the West, with the caveat that Curry gets healthy in time. Jordan Poole is a rising star, and a dangerous piece for Golden State – and he’s breaking out just when the Warriors need it.