The Golden State Warriors beat a four-game losing streak with a massive win against Utah Jazz, the team with the NBA’s best record in 2020-21. Although Draymond Green recorded his 26th triple-double and Stephen Curry scored 32 points, it was rookie James Wiseman and young contenders Jordan Poole and Nico Mannion who kept the Dubs in position to end the game.
The youth scored 39 points on the Warriors bench in victory.
After the game, Green talked a lot about Poole’s improvement.
“You have to give him a lot of credit. He’s in this gym every day with (Player Development Coach) Luke (Loucks), (Assistant Coach / Player Development Director), CD (Chris DeMarco) and those guys working. He went down to the G League, and (Head Coach) Kris Weems held him responsible. I think he took a few steps forward, not just offensively, but overall as a player under Kris Weems, ”said Green about the young Warriors.
“It’s showing when he came back here. I think it’s been three or four games. This is showing up in your play. You have to give that kid a lot of credit. I’m not sure if anyone on our team is more at the gym than he is. It’s nice when you see guys like that being rewarded. “
For his part, Wiseman showed flashes of how good he can be, but, like the Golden State as a whole, the rookie was inconsistent during his first year as a professional. In a fight in which he was defended by one of the best centers in the NBA, he had perhaps his best game of the season. Coach Steve Kerr was pleased with Wiseman and the other young players who made productive games.
“The idea is for James to be the top scorer. He hits the ball quite easily if he places it in the right positions, and Jordan and Nico are both able to hit the ball for him at these points, so we think the three form a good group together. If Jordan or Nico are capable of dropping shots and James is the threat in pick-and-roll, then we can develop an offensive identity with that group, and that is the idea, ”explained Kerr.
“I also like their competitiveness. All three guys really want to be out there. They want to compete and win. This is all part of what we are trying to do this year. I have said this many times, we are trying to win games, and we are trying to develop young people, and we are trying to do everything at once. Tonight, we managed to thread the needle, so let’s hope we can continue doing that. “
Nico Mannion, Jordan Poole making the most of the opportunity of their warriors
Mannion and Poole spent most of the season in the NBA’s G League. Since they were called up, the two players have been key players in the second unit. They make mistakes, but none of the players run away from the competition.
On Sunday, at the Chase Center, they performed their best together as members of the Warriors. Kerr recognized productivity with the two combined with Wiseman.
“I thought the three guys were great. We’re kind of throwing them down a little bit, but we love their talent and potential, and we also really like the way they play together. They fit in well because of James’ threat as a diving man, and Jordan and Nico are good pick-and-roll players, and Jordan and Nico have really developed a good synergy over the season. They are good friends and went to Orlando and played very well together. I realize that putting the three of them out there with that second group is putting a lot on their shoulders, but there is a reason why we are doing this. We believe in these guys. “
Golden State entered the game struggling to find a second production unit, and so Jazz – led by All-Stars Donavan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mile Conley – was expected to dominate from the start. Instead, however, the Dubs caught a glimpse of their bright future with the trio of young men leading the way.
“I think we have a lot of potential. We are extremely gifted and talented, and as soon as we manage to win chemistry, all five guys, and pick up a little bit of the pace as we did later in the second quarter and fourth quarter today, I think we have ‘are dangerous’ Poole said post-game .
Dubs recorded 33 assists in the victory against Jazz, and the bank scored 51 points led by Poole (18) and Wiseman (16). Next, they face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking to make it 2-0 at home.
