Steve Kerr kept reminding Jordan Poole to stop playing like Steph Curry: 'That's a dangerous game, emulating Steph'
Aside from the epic return of his Splash Brother Klay Thompson, Steph also had a reliable co-backcourt star in Jordan Poole.
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From missing the playoffs in 2021, the Golden State Warriors bounced back emphatically this past season and copped the NBA title once again. Of course, Steph Curry spearheaded the Dubs en route to the franchise's seventh championship, but the help from his supporting cast was also a story to tell.
Aside from the epic return of his Splash Brother Klay Thompson, Steph also had a reliable co-backcourt star in Jordan Poole.
Don't go there Jordan
The trajectory of Poole's young career is something almost every player in his generation would feel envious of especially after winning his first NBA title. Apart from being a champion in just his third season in the league, Poole also secured a spot in Steve Kerr's pecking order, starting in 51 of his 76 games this past season. In terms of productivity, "Swaggy Poole" did not fail to deliver as well, having logged his career-best 18.5 points per game on 36.4 shooting from beyond the arc.
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As for the playing style, Poole somewhat resembles that of Curry, and it did not take long for Kerr to notice it. However, the Dubs coach is confident "Jordan hasn't earned that yet," so he often reminds the youngster not to mimic the game of the four-time NBA champ.
"In his third year, his 3-point percentage isn't what Steph's is. And so without trying to thwart him and keep him from being himself, I'm trying to nudge toward really high percentage shot-taking rather than emulating Steph," Kerr told The Ringer in May.
In a nutshell, Kerr simply explained to Poole that it's a dangerous game, emulating Steph."
Steve knows where JP is good at
While Kerr has made it clear to Poole that playing like Steph is not the best thing to do at this point of his career, he also let his player know about the aspect of his game where he could stand out.
According to Kerr, it's defending the best guy on the court without being whistled for a foul, which not all players can do on a consistent level.
"Where it's really showing is in his defense," Kerr said of Pool in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. "It's been something we've been on him about all year. Defending without fouling, really taking on the challenge of taking on the best player. If the best player is coming at him -- accept it and embrace it. If there's a switch, same thing. Get in front of that guy, defend him as best you can without fouling."
It's a bit too early to jump to conclusions, but Kerr is right when he said that Poole shouldn't copy Steph because who knows, Poole, at 22 years of age, could be destined for something truly legendary in the NBA.
