Inside The Wizards

Jordan Poole Emerging as Wizards MVP

The Washington Wizards have been in need of a player like Jordan Poole for a long time.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) runs back on defense during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) runs back on defense during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are in some ways like a drink from a coffee shop.

Coffee needs all kinds of ingredients, but there also needs to be a straw that stirs everything together. That "straw" for the Wizards this season has been veteran guard Jordan Poole.

Poole, 25, is in his sixth season in the NBA and second with the Wizards. He is averaging a career-best 21.7 points per game and is helping lead the Wizards through these tough rebuilding stages.

His ability to be effective on offense has really helped shape the Wizards.

“He creates a a crowd and he generates two on the ball by his shot making, his penetration and that got a lot of our ball movement starting,” Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said. “His playmaking was well needed tonight. [I] thought he gave us some good energy that we needed.”

On top of his tendency to draw double teams, Poole is one of the toughest players in the NBA, willing to play through a considerable amount of pain to help his team.

“I feel like toughness is part of my identity and I feel like it's something that building here just throughout the organization,” Poole said.

Poole missed the past two games against the New York Knicks to take care of a hip injury suffered after bumping into Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller. Poole returned from injury during the game to hit a buzzer-beater to clinch the victory, so considering the fact that he sat out of the two games shortly after that shows how tough he can be.

In his return to action against the Chicago Bulls, Poole had 30 points, returning to the role set out for him on the team. If he continues to play at that level, the Wizards will be in much better shape.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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