Draymond Green Gets Honest About Wizards' Jordan Poole

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole earned some truth from his former Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 6, 2024

Nov 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

Jordan Poole wanted his Washington Wizards to beat his former Golden State Warriors team, but they were unsuccessful in that endeavor with a 125-112 loss.

However, Poole gained some respect and praise from his former teammate and part-time adversary Draymond Green.

Green also explained why he feels Poole struggled in his first year with the Wizards and why things could be different this season.

"He's playing a lot better," Green said of Poole via ESPN's Instagram page. "As a competitor, you just want to show everything you got, and I think last year he was pressing a lot. He just wanted it to happen so bad, and this year, he's a lot more settled in. He's not taking the shots he was taking last year. They were bad shots. I think it was a matter of wanting it so bad to prove to people that 'I can have my own team, I can come here and be successful,' that it ends up working against you. ... That speaks to the patience he's now playing with. I think he's doing a good job of settling down and letting the play come to him."

So far this season, Poole is averaging 22.5 points and 5.0 assists per game, two stats in which he has improved from since last year.

It's still early for the Wizards, who are only six games into the long 82-game schedule, but early returns have shown that Poole is ready to take the next step and be a true leader for the team.

With a rebuild undergoing, the Wizards may trade some of the team's veterans, but Poole appears to be out of those conversations. He appears to be someone the Wizards want to keep long-term, and this season could help prove that point.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Nov 6, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.