Former Warriors center Festus Ezeli has slammed the NBA for snubbing Jordan Poole for the most improved player in the NBA award. Ezeli has also gone on to question the metrics and processes that the NBA uses to measure the improvement of the players.
Jordan Poole spent most of the previous two seasons playing in the G League. His stint in the G League has helped him find his footing. Poole only had one 30-point game last season, but he is an entirely different animal this season. In contrast, this season he has had 11 games where he has touched the 30-point mark.
Poole is also one of just five players in the NBA to score 20 points in 17 games or more. It’s not all about the points, though. Steph Curry’s talent has been a big part of the Warriors’ recent domination. But with Curry sidelined for large parts of this season, it was down to Poole to fill his boots. And that is a job he has done exceptionally well.
Poole averages 18.4 points per game, and his overall scoring has improved by a staggering 66%.
When asked about his omission, Poole simply said, “It is what it is”, but did not hide his disappointment of being left out.
The honors eventually went to Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Spurs guard Dejounte Murray. Even though these players themselves have improved a lot, the evolution of Poole has gone unrewarded.
Whether this snub motivates him to reach further heights remains to be seen, but it does cast doubts on the metrics that the NBA uses to measure the growth of players.
