Spida Mitchell impressed by JP, didn't see breakout coming

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When the Warriors selected Jordan Poole with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, it was widely considered a reach.

Talent evaluators knew the Michigan product was skilled, but he was a project who would need time to develop, and that certainly was the case. Poole averaged 8.8 points on 33 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent from beyond the 3-point line as a rookie.

Two years later, with countless hours spent in the lab working on his craft, Poole has emerged as one of the breakout players of the 2021-22 NBA season, and he has caught the attention of stars around the league.

After the Warriors rallied from a 21-point deficit to stun the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, Donovan Mitchell was asked about Poole by NBC Sports Bay Area's Kerith Burke.

"The confidence level that he has but also the team has in him, I think that's huge," Mitchell said. "I kind of feel that from them as a young guy because I had that confidence from my teammates, also in myself, but also from my teammates and my coaches. But that's a huge thing where you're able to come out and get going, especially when Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] are there because they have their roles, they have their guys and he's able to step in and fit in seamlessly. It's good to see a kid my age doing that, fitting in and doing his thing. He's a talented player."

Poole finished with 31 points in the Warriors' win over the Jazz, extending his streak of games with at least 20 points to 16.

With Thompson missing the first few months of the season and Curry now out for the final few weeks of the regular season, Poole's presence has been a lifesaver for the Warriors.

"We all knew he was talented coming out of Michigan but I can't personally say I saw this and I just think that's a level of determination from him in the offseason, continuously working through things," Mitchell said.

Poole was one of three players taken by the Warriors in the 2019 NBA Draft along with second-round picks Eric Paschall and Alen Smailagic.

While Poole was given time to develop with the Warriors, Smailagic was waived last August. Three days later, Paschall was traded to the Jazz, reuniting with Mitchell, his childhood friend.

Paschall saw Poole play during their first two seasons in the NBA, so he was able to give Mitchell a scouting report.

"I saw him on TV in college," Mitchell said. "I knew he was talented. Like I said, I didn't see this. EP has always told me 'Yeah, he can go get it.' Like I said, when you have confidence as a young guy, that's huge.

"When you have the confidence coming out of college and Steve Kerr is giving you the green light, that's perfect. Not only does Steve Kerr do it, but you have Steph, Klay, [Draymond Green] teaching, guys who have been in championships, teaching him and showing him throughout the game. There are certain plays he's made this year that last year or the year before, he might not have made. So I'm impressed at his development. I think we all are. Going to be really good."

RELATED: Poole, Klay share emotional hug after Warriors' win

Poole bumped his season scoring average up to 18.4 points per game Saturday night, just behind Curry's 25.5 and Thompson's 19.2. The Warriors have needed all of Poole's scoring and playmaking as they try to hold on to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoff race.

Based on the progress Poole has made this season, the expectation is that he will continue to get better with each passing season. Thompson has told Poole to strive to become an All-Star, and that might just happen over the course of the next few seasons.

Mitchell has been selected to the last three All-Star Games and soon he could be sharing that stage with the 22-year-old Poole.

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