SAN FRANCISCO — Jordan Poole didn’t know what to anticipate in his playoff debut.
He’s performed in some high-stake video games earlier than, together with final 12 months’s play-in event. In speaking with a few of his teammates, these video games got here “fairly shut” to replicating the ambiance and physicality of the playoffs. However a few half-hour faraway from the ultimate buzzer of the Warriors’ Recreation 1 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Poole stated he didn’t actually really feel the strain of the stage and crowd.
“It’s simply basketball,” Poole stated. “Hoop, to be sincere.”
Poole seemed pretty much as good Saturday as he has during the last six weeks.
Beginning rather than Stephen Curry, who performed for the primary time since injuring his foot final month, Poole dropped a game-high 30 factors within the Warriors’ Recreation 1 victory over the Denver Nuggets and is forcing coach Steve Kerr to make a troublesome determination of what to do when Curry’s minutes restriction is lifted.
Will Kerr deploy a three-guard beginning lineup that features Poole or have the 22-year-old making his first NBA playoff run be the primary man off the bench?
“We’ll cross that bridge once we get to that,” the coach stated after the win.
The previous looks as if a very good possibility.
The Warriors had been down by one with about 4 ½ minutes left within the second quarter when Poole checked in for Kevon Looney, becoming a member of Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Inexperienced and Andrew Wiggins on the court docket. They then erupted and closed out the half on an 18-6 run.
As a playmaker, Poole likes to be on the court docket alongside Curry and Thompson throughout which the Warriors can simply push the sport’s tempo.
“It’s fairly deadly with the ability to have plenty of off-ball motion for these guys and as quickly as they get any daylight simply looking for a method to get them the rock and be aggressive,” Poole stated.
After a scorching begin to the season, Poole struggled halfway by way of the season adjusting to completely different roles within the wake of Thompson’s return. Poole stated the inconsistency in his sport was partially because of the reality he was attempting to ascertain on-court chemistry with each Thompson and Curry.
“It was simply completely different,” he stated. “It was actually simply an adjustment. I don’t suppose it was essentially laborious or troublesome, it simply took slightly little bit of time to sort of perceive the place and what labored greatest with us on the market collectively.”
Poole thrived during the last six weeks and helped preserve the Warriors afloat with out Curry. He’s been the perfect 3-point shooter within the league because the starting of March, making and trying extra pictures from deep than every other participant within the Affiliation and at a formidable clip.
Draymond Inexperienced lately advocated for Poole to remain within the beginning lineup when Curry is again. Poole stated he’s honored to have earned the belief of the veteran gamers.
“There’s no higher feeling than having the blokes behind you who've already been by way of the struggle,” Poole stated. “I’m simply grateful to be on the court docket with these guys and attempting to study as a lot as attainable so I may proceed to place our staff in conditions to win.”
And that’s what Poole plans to do — whether or not he begins or comes off the bench.
“It’s on the level of the 12 months the place you must be ready for something and it’s nearly successful whether or not you play 35 minutes, if you happen to play quarter-hour,” Poole stated. “It’s about successful the championship. [This season has] been about getting higher and successful a championship the entire time, however now it’s actually the time to lock in and you'll’t even attempt to let stuff like that have an effect on you as a result of it’s an even bigger image and so I suppose we’ll see.
“I take delight in being prepared for the chance every time it comes.”