As terrible as the Warriors' 2019-20 NBA season was, it played a big role in shaping the current championship run.
That season also was Jordan Poole's rookie year, a learning experience that would prove to be key in his surprising development.
Poole spoke to reporters on Sunday while the Warriors awaited the conclusion of the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Eastern Conference finals series, where he discussed what he learned about the organization's culture that season.
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"It was a bit different. Obviously I didn't know what to expect coming in," Poole told reporters on Sunday. "I knew the organization and the standards that they had, but obviously with Steph [Curry] going down and Klay [Thompson] being out ... the best thing I can do is learn. More so about the culture than anything.
"Because obviously there were moving pieces. I think there were so many people that were moved my first two years here. Even though it was rough, we continued to have the joy. You came in and you worked and we weren't only building for that season, but the next season and we were building for this moment right here."
With Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green missing for most, if not all, of that season, the Warriors were without three future Hall of Famers on the court. Fortunately for Poole and other young Warriors, the three veterans played a huge role in mentoring behind the scenes.
"The guys were still around and having an impact on the work we did daily [and] just showed us that there was a bigger picture ahead, it wasn't just about that season or the season afterward," Poole added. "It's amazing to be a part of now because this is what I felt from Day 1, being able to have guys like [Kevon Looney] and Draymond and Klay and Steph and all them. They were telling us what we were preparing for, it wasn't like they didn't know, they knew exactly what it was and it was just a matter of time before we got back to where we wanted to be."
Golden State Warriors
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Golden State's foundation has been in place for over a decade now, and it has resulted in three championships and six NBA Finals appearances in eight seasons.
Whichever pieces end up surrounding Curry, Thompson, Green and now Poole for the foreseeable future, all four veterans will play a role in shaping the next batch of Warriors stars.