Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson understands everything Jordan Poole is going through right now and has every confidence the five-time All-Star can stop Poole’s slump.
“I’ll just tell him I’ve been there,” Thompson said of his advice to Poole during the shootout. In 19 games this season, Poole is averaging 15.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Warriors have the third best odds to win the championship in 2023. Some sportsbooks show higher odds for the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Klay Thompson: “We’re all human and we care what people think of our game…we take pride in our game…our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes it hurts when you try so hard to be great and people criticize you.” https://t.co/gBphJFKaRM
— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) November 25, 2022
Poole shot 3-of-15 (20%) from the field and missed all eight of his three-point attempts in the Colts’ 124-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
“It happens to me every season,” Klay Thompson said. “I’m just telling him to play with a lot of purpose, play with that confidence and have a 36-point game with 20 shots again.”
Warriors star Klay Thompson wants Jordan Poole to “lean on his teammates” to help him bounce back from a poor performance.
Poole’s true shooting percentage is 53.7 percent. His player efficiency rating is also 12.1. Both copies are the lowest the guard has been since his rookie season. Additionally, the league shooting averages are 46.7% from the floor and 35.6% from downtown.
“Understand that we’re all human,” Thompson said. “We play 100 games a year. There’s going to be stretches where you’re not at your best, there’s going to be stretches where you’re not going to stand up. It’s just keeping everything even.”
Poole scored a game-high 36 points in 30 minutes on November 14 in the Warriors’ 132-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He finished 13-of-20 (65%) from the field and 5-of-10 (50%) from beyond the arc.
Klay Thompson walked into a media presence and quickly dropped Jordan Poole when he said he was upset about a reporter pulling Jordan Poole before his contract extension.
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) November 25, 2022
Similar to Poole, Thomson has been disappointing some fans this season as well. In 15 starts, the Warriors’ veteran guard is averaging 17.3 points, 3.3 boards and 2.3 assists.
In fact, his PPG is his lowest since the 2013-14 season. Not to mention, Thompson’s shooting percentage dropped to 39.3% from the floor and 37.9% from deep.
“I’m just telling JP to lean on his teammates,” added Thompson. “It’s not fun. You take great pride in your game. it hurts.
“You go home that night and even when you win, you don’t feel good because you feel like you let your teammates down. You want to play better and get in your own way. I am guilty of that and love JP.
