In the third quarter of Sunday's game between the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics, Jordan Poole got hit in the head by Jrue Holiday and fell to the floor. As Poole lay on the floor, Celtics broadcaster Drew Carter threw shade at him by referring to the infamous Draymond Green punch.
"Let’s just say that’s not the worst shot Jordan Poole has taken to the face," Carter said.
Carter clearly felt Poole was exaggerating the contact to the face there and took a wild shot at him by referring to the punch heard around the world. Green punching Poole in the face and knocking him down during a team practice in October 2022, remains one of the most shocking incidents we have seen involving NBA players in a very long time.
Green would get fined by the Warriors and issued a public apology, but wasn't suspended. While the Warriors tried to put the incident behind them, they never were able to.
After they failed to defend their title in 2023, head coach Steve Kerr admitted the Warriors lost trust in each other after Green punched Poole. The camaraderie just wasn't there and the group wasn't as unified as in years gone by.
One of Green or Poole had to go, and Golden State chose to part ways with the latter. The Warriors traded Poole to the Wizards in what was somewhat of a surprise. At the time, it was thought that they might have made a mistake, but Poole unfortunately showed that the Warriors made the right decision.
He was expected to shine with a bigger role on the Wizards, but instead, Poole has underwhelmed, to say the least. The 24-year-old is averaging just 16.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game this season.
We have seen some improvement post the All-Star break, as Poole has averaged 20.7 points per game since then. He has come off the bench, for the most part, in that time and it might well be the role he is best suited to.
With Tyus Jones out due to a back injury, Poole did get to start against the Celtics and did impress, finishing with 31 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists in just over 23 minutes. It wasn't enough to even make the contest competitive, though, as the Celtics won 130-104 to drop the Wizards to 11-57 on the season.
Draymond Green Spoke On Punching Jordan Poole
We still don't know for sure why exactly Green punched Poole. Some rumors have floated around on why it happened, but none of the parties involved have chosen to reveal that detail. Green did, though, explain why he punched Poole.
"I don't just hit people. Dialogue, of course, happens over time and you usually ain't triggered by something that fast… We know stuff you don't say amongst men. We know things that you have to stand on."
It is clear he felt Poole crossed a line that he shouldn't have, but didn't elaborate further. I am sure one day, we will find out what led to it.
Green also felt that his punching Poole killed the Warriors' chances of winning the title. He just wasn't that vocal presence in the locker room following the incident and stated it really hurt Golden State. He has assumed that role now, but the Warriors, who are 35-31 on the season, still don't seem to be serious title contenders.
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