The Golden State Warriors needed someone to carry the load offensively while Stephen Curry was out.
Needless to say, most people expected Jordan Poole to take that role, as he was coming off a breakout year and signed a very lucrative contract in the offseason.
Poole had been inconsistent coming off the bench, but he had excelled as a starter, so expectations were high for the Michigan product.
However, he had failed to live up to that hype as of late, with coach Steve Kerr calling him out over his shot selection and defensive miscues.
But Poole has the potential to go human-torch mode in the blink of an eye.
His scoring prowess was on full display during their big win over the Los Angeles Clippers, going off for 34 points.
More impressively, he did all of his damage in the final three-quarters of the game, as he went scoreless in the first 12 minutes.
That’s why Klay Thompson tipped his hat to him and gave him his flowers for being able to stay mentally strong and locked in and bounce back when his team needed him:
“Just a great overall night by Jordan. I mean, he led us tonight,” Thompson said postgame. “I’m just incredibly proud of him for bouncing back after not the best shooting games in the last two or whatever, but that does not affect him. He’s such a great player.”
Klay says he's "incredibly proud" of JP for the way he bounced back after a couple of tough shooting nights pic.twitter.com/mSFpJ6NpfO
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 3, 2023
Thompson has repeatedly stated how proud he is of Poole for the great strides he’s made as a professional.
He was once considered one of the worst players in the league, and not many people thought he’d even be on a roster at this point.
But he kept working hard, and the Dubs did a solid job of staying patient with him, and now he looks like the guy who’ll carry Curry’s torch in the Bay for years to come.
NEXT: The Warriors Are Ready To Welcome Their Star Back
