Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Iguodala calls out Jordan Poole for his defensive effort

Originally posted on DC Sports King
By King W. Motley III | Last updated 9/22/23

Jordan Poole is now with the Washington Wizards after getting traded by the Golden State Warriors this summer. Poole’s relationship with the Warriors broke down last season in large due to the infamous incident in which he got viciously punched by then-teammate Draymond Green.

But there were other disconnects with the team, including with head coach Steve Kerr. Recently former Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala appeared on The Old Man and The Three podcast, where Iguodala revealed some of Poole’s issues.

Poole struggled with fitting into his role, according to Iguodala. Especially with the fact Poole was third on the Warriors’ team in scoring with 20.4 points per game. That included playing defense. Iguodala said he reprimanded Poole for not playing defense.

“I would tell him, ‘Jordan, you’re trying not to try,” Iguodala said. “Do you know how much energy it takes to try not to try? It takes less energy to try.”

.@andre gives his honest thoughts on Jordan Poole's situation when he was on the Warriors.

Watch the full episode with @jj_redick and @thekidet: https://t.co/27I6fvZlL6 pic.twitter.com/wUfUTfZqoW
— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) September 21, 2023

Jordan Poole struggled with fitting into Warriors’ role

Jordan Poole played an integral part in the Warriors capturing the NBA championship in 2022. But with the punch by Green during a training camp practice and some reluctance from the Warriors old guard of Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, Poole struggled to fit in the following season.

There was some trust lost between Poole and his teammates. Poole felt because of his impact on offense, he could freelance some defensively like Green, Curry, and Thompson. Everything came to a head after the Warriors were bounced from the playoffs by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The architect of the Warriors dynasty, Bob Myers, stepped down as general manager. Myers’ replacement, Mike Dunleavy Jr., ultimately felt the best decision was to move Poole, trading him to the Wizards in a package that landed the Warriors 12-time All-Star Chris Paul back in return.

Paul will now be the one trying to fit into a core that together has won four NBA championships. Meanwhile, Poole gets a fresh start with the Wizards. The team is challenging Poole to lead a younger roster alongside Kyle Kuzma.

Poole’s defense has been an eyesore. His letdown on the defensive side of the court got laminated because of his slight drop-off offensively. Last season, his shooting percentage fell to 43.0%, and three-point shooting to 33.6%.

Hopefully, with Washington, he rids himself of any bad habits defensively because the Wizards are counting on Poole to be his best next season.

This article first appeared on DC Sports King and was syndicated with permission.

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