Bear with me for a second: Jordan Poole has been good recently. While the Washington Wizards have now lost 16 consecutive games, to become the very worst team in the league and take some heat off the Detroit Pistons, Poole has resembled an actual NBA player over the past couple of weeks, rather than a cosmic joke on the nation's capital. His new role off the bench has made him more productive: In Washington's last eight games, Poole is averaging a 23.8/4.0/3.0 line.
On Wednesday night, Poole had another solid outing with 26 points, five assists and four boards. He also committed three turnovers and shot 33 percent from three, but hey, progress. Of course, the Wizards still lost, blowing a 21-point lead in a 119-109 defeat to the Orlando Magic. But for once, it wasn't entirely Poole's fault.
There was no better marker for this (possibly temporary) new version of Poole than a possession late in the first quarter. With the Wizards up nine, Poole found himself with the ball on a breakaway. Orlando's Cole Anthony attempted to cut off Poole, but he dodged the defender, although not enough to not trip over his own feet.
Poole tumbled to the floor, ending up on his ass but maintaining possession of the ball. That's the setup for a signature play from the former Michigan Wolverine. This was it, the moment when he could become a legend. There's a bit of a pause before Poole's brain catches up to the action, and in that pause is where I, and probably everyone watching, could have been convinced that he was about to let it fly.
Alas, Poole hesitated for a few seconds before he dished the ball to Bilal Coulibaly, who maneuvered his way into the paint for a tricky layup and an 11-point Washington lead that they would not retain. This was the right play; no one, especially not Jordan Poole, should be shooting from their ass. And yet if anyone were to try it, it would be Jordan Poole. Especially Jordan Poole.
But was Poole ever actually going to shoot there? The Wizards announcers sure thought so, a reaction informed by the knowledge that can only come from watching Poole across a full NBA season. For my money, it is equally likely that he considered a pass to Johnny Davis under the rim before he saw that angle was cut off. He looked like he just wanted to get rid of the ball before things got too sloppy.
However, again, this is Jordan Poole. His reputation precedes him, and the broadcasters' reactions, the Wizards bench, and the excited murmur from the D.C. crowd backs it up. An early March game in a once-again lost season for the Wizards is the perfect time to get a little crazy with it. He may have shown growth and made the right play instead, but no one ever achieved immortality with a smart pass to Bilal Coulibaly. It wasn't the first time Poole found himself on his ass this season, and it probably won't be the last. Maybe he'll go for it next time.
