When draft night rolled around on June 20 in Brooklyn, Jordan Poole had no idea where he was going to be drafted. Mock drafts had him in the 40-60 range while possibly not being drafted at all.
So when the Golden State Warriors selected him at 28 overall, it raised some eyebrows. Poole, however, expected to be selected one pick later at 29.
In an interview with The Athletic, Poole revealed that he thought he would be drafted by the San Antonio Spurs before the Warriors came calling.
The Warriors’ pre-draft intel suggested the Spurs were interested in taking Jordan Poole with the 29th pick. Poole can confirm such whispers. He’d worked out in San Antonio in the weeks leading up to the draft and had been given hints of their strong attraction.
“I was really preparing for 29,” Poole said.
The Clippers, at pick 27, were on the clock. Poole figured his moment was only about 10 minutes away. It actually arrived sooner. His phone buzzed. The Warriors were on the other
line. They were taking him at pick 28.“Beyond excited,” Poole said recently. “It’s as good as it gets, man.”
Being selected by the team that has made five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals isn’t the worst thing in the world. On top of that, the Warriors play a fast paced style that suits Poole’s game.
He averaged 17.8 points in the Las Vegas Summer League and it showed off a bit of his game. He will fit in well with Golden State’s three-point game.
