The Warriors need more from everyone in Game 7, but especially Jordan Poole.
SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson knows what it’s like to struggle on some of basketball’s biggest stages.
So in the wake of Jordan Poole’s rough showing Friday night, Thompson offered some perspective and support for the fourth-year guard.
“We’ve all been there. I’ve had terrible slumps during playoffs, the Olympics, at the highest level,” Thompson said after the Warriors’ stunning 118-99 loss. “Jordan is only 23 years old. We lose as a team; we win as a team. It wasn’t on just JP tonight. He could come out and get 30 effortlessly on Sunday.”
The hope heading into this season was that Poole would build off his 2021-22 success, which earned him a $140 million extension that’ll kick in next season. Yes, he’s faced more defensive pressure from opponents than a year ago. But his inconsistency has left many scratching their heads and put his long-term future with Golden State in question.
The Warriors can live with Poole being a liability on defense when he’s being effective on offense. But the numerous blow-bys on the defensive end in Friday night’s loss were tougher to swallow when Poole scored only seven points on 11 shots.
Poole went 2 of 11 from the field, had one assist, two steals and one turnover before ultimately finishing the night a minus-14 in 26 minutes of action.
“Jordan never really got going tonight unfortunately,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He got a little frustrated early. He had a couple plays where he didn’t get calls and he was trying to attack and couldn’t quite shake free, so just a frustrating night for him.”
The Warriors, of course, maintain confidence in Poole.
“He’s a great player, and he helped us win a championship last year,” Thompson said. “And if we want to do that again, he will do the same this year.”
Stephen Curry shared Thompson’s sentiment, adding, “We need him. He’s more than capable, and has shown the ability to impact games.”
But the Warriors need the version of Poole who played a key part in last year’s title run by knocking down big shots and making plays, not the one who has a tendancy to play too fast and not within the flow of the game.
Coaches and veterans often preach the importance of having a “next-play mentality” to young players who are trying to get their footing. But that mindset is even more vital in a best-of-seven series when the stakes are so high.
Curry stressed that Friday night, saying it’s critical that everyone, including Poole, isn’t “a victim of the last game.
“You always can kind of bounce back,” Curry said. “I have nothing but confidence in his ability to do that and understand to bring the right energy for this next game. So we have all kind of been there and been through those growing pains of a playoff experience, and it happens, but we all can play better, and we all got to play better if we’re going to win on Sunday.”
Game 7 presents an opportunity for Poole to make it right, and whether he can will play a factor in Sunday’s results. But because of the previous six games, Kerr might be forced to make a change for Sunday’s winner-takes-all game.
Draymond Green showed good faith after his Game 3 suspension, marching into the Warriors coach’s office to suggest the 33-year-old veteran come off the bench in the next game.
It worked twice more, setting up an opportunity to close-out the first-round series at Chase Center.
But the Warriors got burned Friday.
It would be foolish and wrong to put the blame solely on Poole for Friday’s loss. The Warriors, collectively, looked sluggish from the jump and might’ve let their Game 5 win — as well as their confidence stemming from the team’s ample playoff experience — get to their heads. The Warriors didn’t show a will to win, while the Kings played with pure desperation.
“It was a poor night for all of us, including me,” Kerr said. “We always say, we win together, we lose together, and this was a team effort that includes players and coaches, and the Kings outplayed us, out coached us, deserved to win.”
The Warriors can’t afford to let that happen in their do-or-die situation Sunday.
