Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Impressed by Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole is catching the attention of the Washington Wizards' head coach.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA;Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) drives down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA;Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) drives down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are beginning to find a little bit of a rhythm, and it has to do with Jordan Poole.

Poole, 25, is in his second season with the Wizards and he is growing more accustomed to his role as a primary scorer for the team.

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe gushed about Poole's ability to fight for his team despite the tough times it has faced this season.

“This guy's a baller,” Keefe said of Poole. “Loves to play, plays injured, plays hurt all the time. You guys have no idea how much pain he can play through. It's impressive. He did it last year, not surprised that he stayed in the game. [He] showed his toughness tonight.”

Poole played through the second half of the team's last game against the Charlotte Hornets with a hip injury. Yet, he was able to to come back and score 31 points as the Wizards beat the Hornets on a game-winning 3-pointer from Poole.

Poole was traded to the Wizards in 2023 to give him an opportunity to have more responsibility for the team. He was a role player behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the Golden State Warriors' depth chart, but now he has the opportunity to come through in those clutch moments like he did the other night for the Wizards.

Not everyone can be a No. 1 scorer on an NBA team, and even though the Wizards haven't played particularly well this season, Poole is proving that he is more than capable of shouldering the load needed to be a top player in the league.

Poole and the Wizards are back in action tonight as they take on the New York Knicks at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside Capital One Arena.

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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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