Jordan Poole is already proving himself after a few months in D.C., as he recently tied Michael Jordan’s preseason-scoring record with the franchise after his recent 41-point performance. However, his teammate Kyle Kuzma recently told the press that their new star player still has much to improve and “next progression is just making others better.”
Back when the young guard was playing in Golden State, he had a very different role inside that star-packed squad. Now, he has the opportunity to lead the Wizards and take most of the shots or distribute the ball. Kuzma believes he can become a special playmaker during his time in Washington.
“His next progression is just making others better, because when he has the ball, people are going to know he wants to shoot and score, and that’s OK,” the small forward told The Athletic‘s Josh Robbins.
Kyle Kuzma believes Jordan Poole is “super misunderstood” from his time in the Bay with the Warriors https://t.co/SJzMSNJ2Yj
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 19, 2023
“That’s a good thing because that means your teammates are going to be more open from a defensive perspective. So he’s going to be great. This is his first time in this type of role. Playing off the ball for so many years, it’s going to take some time. But he’s young and he loves the game. He loves his craft,” his teammate added.
The Michigan product averaged 20.4 points in San Francisco this past campaign, and hopes to fill Bradley Beal’s shoes in Washington. After his outstanding display against the New York Knicks on October 18, he’s already gained the respect of his new Wizards’ squad.
“I love the kid already,” veteran Taj Gibson said about the 24-year-old. “He’s such a ball of life. When you’re around young guys who have so much to bring to the table, so much energy and joy, you want to be a part of that. He understands the new situation, but every day he’s one of the first guys speaking up in the huddle, one of the first guys speaking up in film.”
Poole doesn’t believe the team’s transition will be easy, but is convinced that the Wizards will improve throughout the 2023/24 campaign
After both Beal and Kristaps Porzingis left the club this summer, they left a huge void inside the Wizards roster. This hole is nothing short of a great opportunity for younger players to step up as leaders and become the franchise’s future stars. With that said, both Poole and Kuzma seem destined to take on the responsibility.
“We’ve played high-level basketball enough to the point where we know it’s not always going to be a smooth, easy transition,” Poole expressed. “There will be down days, dog days, slow days. It’s a long season, seven or eight months. But we know that those are the days where you get better: the hardest days, the days where we’re super-tired.”
“Everybody’s going to come with energy during training camp. Everybody’s going to have a lot of positive energy the first month or month and a half of the season,” assured the former Warriors guard.
The Washington club will open the 2023/24 regular season on October 25 against the Indiana Pacers.
