Warriors rookie Jordan Poole re-finding shot in G League hot streak

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Struggling Warriors rookie Jordan Poole is having a much better time in the G League. 

Poole scored a team-high 24 points to lead the Santa Cruz Warriors to a 110-106 win over the Salt Lake City Stars on Friday. It was the guard's third 20-point game since his G League assignment began on Dec. 28 compared to just one in his first 29 NBA games. 

In three G League games, the Michigan product's per-game averages far exceed his NBA output. Poole has the ball in his hands much more in Santa Cruz, as evidenced by his 29.6 percent usage rate and 4.3 turnovers per game, but he also is shooting much better. 

In the NBA, Poole was shooting 25.4 percent from the field and just 24.2 percent on 3-pointers. Given Warriors coach Steve Kerr's hopes for Poole's assignment, it has been so far, so good. 

"It was good to see him play a lot of minutes, get the confidence going in his shot," Kerr told reporters Thursday morning, prior to Poole's performance against Salt Lake. "It's a big part of sending him there -- to let him play and just let him feel the game."

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With D'Angelo Russell out Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, Poole could get a chance to see if his G League success will bread more confidence in the NBA. 

Santa Cruz, meanwhile, doesn't play again until Jan. 11, so it could be a while before Poole plays again if he doesn't check in Saturday or for Golden State next week.

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