Jordan Poole has grown up as part of this social media generation but believes he is a bit of an old soul and not like his contemporaries. Poole was asked about his keeping a low profile in a recent interview, and he called out the current generation.
“I’m more of an old soul if that makes sense," Poole said. "So that goes to the new generation who wants to post everything, show that they’re in the gym, show that they’re shooting on the court after a game. It’s about the views, it’s about the clickbait, it’s about making fun of people online. That’s just what’s hot. That’s what’s new. That’s what’s trendy right now."
Poole says he has never been the type to engage in any of that.
"I’ve never really been that type of guy," Poole continued. "Always been humble, always been modest, God-fearing. So I just come in, I get my work in, great teammate, try to help my teammates get better, just be a good person, and I just love to hoop."
The 24-year-old is hoping to be a good example for others who are going through tough times.
"So at the end of the day, that’s just going to show, my talent’s going to show, the hard work is always going to get put in, and I’m just trying to be a good example for those who go through tough times," Poole stated. "Everybody goes through tough times, but it makes us stronger, we grow from it, we learn from it. We’re going to look back at this in a little bit and just laugh at it, honestly.”
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Poole did make a lot of good points there. He probably has been the biggest victim of late of the social media culture of making fun of people online. He has had a disastrous first season with the Washington Wizards and has been ridiculed a fair bit.
There were a lot of expectations on Poole when the Wizards acquired him this past offseason from the Golden State Warriors. It was thought that he would shine with a bigger role, having had to play second and third fiddle during his time in Golden State.
That hasn't been the case, however, as Poole is only averaging 16.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He has also shot just 40.1% from the field and 31.0% from beyond the arc.
For much of the first half of the season, it seemed like a Poole lowlight would go viral every other day. He became in many ways an easy target to get clicks and whatnot.
While that is a fact, what also can't be denied is that Poole's attitude on the court left a lot to be desired. A video had gone viral of just how "unserious" Poole had been in his first 10 games as a Wizard. He wasn't helping his cause with some of his antics, and to his credit, he has cut it down now.
Jordan Poole Was Not Happy About Being Benched
Poole's continued struggles on the court led to the Wizards announcing he would be coming off the bench after the All-Star break. While he wasn't causing too much of a fuss over it, Poole admitted he was not happy about being benched by the Wizards.
The team claimed the move was made to give Poole more opportunities as the lead ball handler and decision-maker. So, what has that looked like?
Well, Poole is averaging 22.0 points per game since he started coming off the bench, which is great. Unfortunately, he is shooting just 40.9% from the field, which is not good enough. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him if this keeps up.
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