Washington Wizards star Jordan Poole returned to Chase Center for the first time since being traded from the Golden State Warriors. The 24-year-old meeting his ex-teammates during shoot-around practice proved a heartwarming sight to watch.
Usually, both opposing teams practice a shoot-around before the game. Poole met his former colleagues, including the likes of Stephen Curry, Gary Payton II, Jonathan Kuminga, Klay Thompson, and some Warriors staff. Meeting his first teammates since being drafted by the Warriors in 2019 was a surreal experience.
That was evident in the light-hearted banter and pleasantries exchanged between them. Both parties seemed delighted to see each other for the first time in several months.
Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards this off-season. This was at least partly due to the altercation between him and Draymond Green last season during practice. Analysts and fans both believe that the altercation was the prime reason for the way the Warriors’s season ended last year. The Warriors themselves admitted that, even though they tried their best to move past the scandal, it caused a lot of mistrust and uneasiness in the locker room.
Poole was an integral part of the Warriors 2021-22 championship run. He averaged 17 points and 3.8 assists off the bench to help his team clinch their fourth championship in the Stephen Curry-Klay Thompson-Draymond Green- Steve Kerr era. They tried to repeat the achievement last season but the bust up meant that was simply never a possibility.
Poole and the Wizards have an uphill task against the Warriors
Jordan Poole and the Washington Wizards are having a torrid season so far. Currently, they are sitting second from bottom in the Eastern Conference. Facing a Warriors team who are desperate to get back into playoff contention, the Wizards will have an uphill battle. Even without Green in the lineup, the Warriors have a far better team to call upon vs the Wizards.
Poole has been called out for his uninspiring play since coming to Washington. Some say he seems like a shell of himself compared to the Warriors’ days. While his game averages are on par with his Warriors days, Poole was brought in to be the second building block beside Kyle Kuzma. They were to be the core of their rebuild but have till now consistently disappointed fans.
Meeting up with his old pals was great to watch. A good thing was that Green was not in the scene after his suspension. Hence, the meeting proved to be light-hearted and full of banter.
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