3 Reasons Jordan Poole Can Win Most Improved Player Award

Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole has come a long way since his rookie year in the 2019-20 season. 

Poole, the No. 28 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has become one of the Warriors’ best players this season after two years of being in and out of the team’s rotation. Poole was actually sent to the G League in January of 2021 after struggling to find a role with the team. 

He ended up playing in 51 games last season, averaging 12.0 points in 19.4 minutes per game. Poole came on strong after getting recalled from the G League, putting up 14.7 points a night and shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from 3. 

After looking like a bust, Poole parlayed last year’s strong finish into a starting role this season and is thriving for the Warriors. 

He is currently fourth in WynnBET’s latest odds to win the league’s Most Improved Player award at +1600. Only Ja Morant (+250), Miles Bridges (+400) and Tyler Herro (+1200) have shorter odds than Poole. 

Can the Warriors breakout star actually win the award? I think there’s a path for him. Poole has become an integral part of Golden State’s 15-2 start, and here are a few reasons why I think he could be worth a bet at +1600 to win the MIP award this season. 

Most Improved Player Award Almost Always Goes to Player on Playoff Team

Poole, who has been unreal to start this season, averaging 18.4 points per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, has been a major reason for the Warriors’ hot start. 

He has filled in as a poor man’s Klay Thompson if you will, and has dropped 32 and 33 points in his last two games. Poole’s ability to stretch the floor has made life a little easier for Steph Curry this season, and with the Warriors looking like a lock of a playoff team, Poole has history on his side. 

Since the 2012-13 season, all but one player who has won the Most Improved Player award has been on a playoff team. Only Brandon Ingram in the 2019-20 season has won the award for a non-playoff team since then, and we saw Julius Randle win in the 2020-21 season after leading the New York Knicks to the No. 4 seed in the East. 

Golden State has gone from a team that lost in the play-in to a NBA Finals contender in one season. Poole isn’t the main reason (that’s Steph), but he has been an integral part in this year’s turnaround. 

Jordan Poole’s Role Has Changed More Than Any Other Candidate

Morant, Herro and Bridges may all be ahead of Poole, but they all still have the same role on their team, playing a lot of minutes this season. Those players are playing better, but they haven’t seen the jump that Poole has across the board. 

The third-year guard has gone from a fringe rotation player to an every night start, as he’s seen his points per game go from 12.0 to 18.4, his rebounds go from 1.8 to 3.0 and assists move from 1.9 to 3.2. He’s shooting the best percentage from the field (45.8 percent) of his career and is connecting on 33.3 percent of his 3s this season. 

He deserves something for turning into such a big contributor this season after playing a good chunk of last year in the G League. 

Jordan Poole Is Doing This WITHOUT Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson’s absence has allowed for Poole to have a bigger role, but he has also thrived even though he is one of the focal points in Golden State’s offense. 

Once Thompson returns, it’s going to be interesting how many better looks Poole gets with defenses try to key in on Klay and Steph. His numbers may take a slight hit, but Poole has proven he isn’t simply a product of playing alongside the Splash Brothers. 

I think that’s significant for his case.