This past week the NBA announced their finalists for the Most Improved Player Award for the 2021-2022 season. Many fans were shocked to see that Jordan Poole was left off the shortlist containing Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies), and Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs).
Steve Kerr addressed the media about Poole being snubbed saying, “I don’t think I have to say anything. I’m sure his teammates are telling him that he got the short end of the stick on that one, but there are bigger fish to fry. He’s all in on winning. He understands that’s the main thing, but it would have been nice for him to be honored.”
Kerr’s words proved to be true after the media asked Poole the same question and he calmly responded stating, “It is what it is.”
Now why do members and fans Golden State Warriors feel jaded about this selection process? It’s simply because Jordan Poole’s progression has been improving vastly in each of his first three seasons in the league.
As a the 28th overall pick in the 2019 Draft, Poole struggled to become a consistent part of the Warriors’ rotation. He found himself constantly being sent back to the G-League to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Poole did get another shot the next season due to Golden State desperately needed more depth at shooting guard the following season because of the prolonged injuries Klay Thompson was experiencing. Although he was primarily used as a role player, Poole made the most of his minutes averaging twelve points plus two rebounds and assists a game.
His improvement gave Steve Kerr the evidence he needed to insert Poole into the starting lineup as they played the Los Angeles Lakers to open the 2021-2022 season. That night the NBA witnessed the arrival of Jordan Poole as he dropped twenty points to secure the 121-114 victory.
His play continued to improve drastically even while sharing minutes with arguably the best scoring duo in NBA history. At the conclusion of the regular season, Poole had improved in nearly every statistical category. His rebounding and assist total doubled while his scoring average shot up to nearly nineteen point per game.
So when his teammate, Draymond Green was asked about Poole’s increased production he told the media, “He actually went down to G-League and figured it out. I thought that was a beautiful thing. I thought that was a huge, huge sign of his maturity.”
Despite the fact he was not considered for any awards, Poole has proven he is a star in this league. On Saturday in his first ever playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, he led the Warriors to victory dropping thirty points while shooting seventy percent from beyond the arc.
The fact that he was not considered a finalist is an indictment on the NBA.
I believe Draymond Green expressed this travesty perfectly when he said, “If Jordan Poole isn’t the Most Improved Player, then the NBA really needs to relook at their process. Because you cannot find a guy on that list that has made a bigger improvement. I don’t care. If he’s not the Most Improved Player, then let’s rename the award to who we like the most or who we see as more electrifying.”
The Beat @APU 