Insider Makes Bold Prediction for Wizards Guard

A Washington Wizards insider has provided a rather bold prediction for this key scorer heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Oct 6, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Wizards shooting guard Jordan Poole (13) /p/ and Toronto Raptors point guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends during the first quarter at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards won just 15 games last season, so no one is expecting them to contend during the 2024-25 NBA campaign. But there is a legitimate question: where will the scoring come from for the Wizards?

We know that Kyle Kuzma is Washington's No. 1 option, having averaged 22.2 points per game last year. But after Kuzma, it's a bit of a mystery.

Well, Josh Robbins of The Athletic has identified who he thinks could potentially fill it up for the Wizards this coming season: Jordan Poole.

"This season, there’s no question Poole will be Washington’s primary initiator, and with Brian Keefe as coach, Washington will look to play at an even faster pace," Robbins wrote. "That means more possessions, more shot attempts and more chances for assists. Whether Poole will be efficient is another story, but the counting stats will rise."

Robbins noted that Poole averaged 20.9 points per game after the All-Star break last season, indicating that he may be due for a significant uptick overall this year.

The 25-year-old registered 17.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals over 30.1 minutes per game in 2023-24 on 41.3/32.6/87.7 shooting splits.

Poole did average 20.4 points per game with the Golden State Warriors the year prior, so he has shown he can be one of his team's top scorers, regardless of whether or not he does it efficiently.

Of course, Washington would like it if Poole were able to be more economical and careful with his shot selection. The good news is he has been decent in that area in the past, as he registered a true-shooting percentage of 59.8 percent with the Warriors in 2021-22.

That being said, Poole had much more support around him in Golden State than he does in the nation's capital, so we'll see if he is able to be efficient in an increased role.

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