Warriors’ Klay Thompson on Jordan Poole’s struggles: ‘He really cares, he wants to be great’

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson understands everything Jordan Poole is going through at the moment, and the five-time All-Star has full confidence in Poole’s ability to end his slump.

“I just tell him I’ve been there, many times,” Thompson said Friday during a shootaround on what advice he offered Poole. Through 19 appearances this season, Poole is averaging 15.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Warriors have the third-best odds to win the championship in 2023. Some sportsbooks show higher odds for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

Klay Thompson: “We’re all human and we care what people think of our game…We take pride in our game… Our strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes it hurts when you put so much effort into being great and people criticize you."https://t.co/gBphJFKaRM

— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) November 25, 2022

On Wednesday, in the Warriors’ 124-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Poole shot 3-of-15 (20%) from the field and missed all eight of his three-point attempts.

“Every season that’s happened to me,” continued Klay Thompson. “I just tell him to play with great intentions, play with that great confidence and he will have a 36-point game again on 20 shots.”

Warriors star Klay Thompson wants Jordan Poole to “lean on his teammates” to help him bounce back from poor performances

Poole’s true shooting percentage is 53.7%. His player efficiency rating is also 12.1. Both recordings are the guard’s lowest since his rookie season. Plus, the league shooting averages right now are 46.7% from the floor and 35.6% from downtown.

“Understand that we’re all human,” Thompson said. “We play 100 games a year. There’s going to be stretches where you’re not your best, there’s going to be stretches where you’re unstoppable. It’s just about staying even-keel through it all.”

In the Warriors’ 132-95 blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 14, Poole scored a season-high 36 points in 30 minutes. He finished 13-of-20 (65%) shooting from the field and 5-of-10 (50%) from outside the arc.

Klay Thompson walked into shootaround media availability and dropped a quick, "leave it in the past like a ponytail" when talking about being upset with a reporter dragging Jordan Poole before his contract extension.

— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) November 25, 2022

Similar to Poole, Thompson is disappointing some fans this season as well. Through 15 starts, the Warriors veteran guard is averaging 17.3 points, 3.3 boards, and 2.3 assists.

Of course, his PPG is his lowest since the 2013-14 season. Not to mention, Thompson’s shooting career lows of 39.3% from the floor and 37.9% from deep.

“I just tell JP to lean on his teammates, because I know what it’s like to shoot 3-for-14 or 4-for-18,” added Thompson. “It’s not fun. You take great pride in your game. It hurts.

“You go to home that night and you just don’t feel good, even when you win, because you feel like you let your teammates down. You want to play better and you kind of get in your own way. I’m a culprit of that and I love JP.”