Jordan Poole and Draymond Green haven’t seen eye-to-eye since the latter punched his former Warriors teammate during a practice session, which led to tensions in the locker room and contributed to the guard’s eventual exit from the team. While the Wizards star is still on good terms with the rest of his former teammates, his relationship with the veteran forward is non-existent. Some believe that the duo still harbor resentment toward each other and it came to the fore in last Monday’s game between the Warriors and Wizards.
After banking a three-pointer above Green’s outstretched arm, Poole pointed at the veteran to taunt him. Later in the game, the Warriors forward returned the favor after a Steph Curry three-pointer but received criticism for it from fans on social media.
The four-time NBA champion defended his actions and claimed he was giving back to his former teammate what he dished out. On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors star said,
“They run the ball screen, he go off the flare, our man get whacked, I’mma make a last-ditch effort and try to get a contest. My man just pointed at me like I was guarding him like bro i just tried to get a late contest! So everybody on my Twitter like ‘Draymond points, Steph hits a three’. Well, its actually the same exact thing because then he went and got a contest that wasn’t his contest, and I pointed back at him.”
While there’s palpable tension between the two, Green put that aside and praised Poole after the game, saying,
“He’s playing a lot better. His shot selection… you come to a new situation, as a competitor you want to show everything. I think last year he was pressing. He wanted it so bad. He’s settling in. Last year were bad shots but he wanted it so bad.”
Draymond on Jordan Poole: “He’s playing a lot better. His shot selection… you come to a new situation, as a competitor you want to show everything. I think last year he was pressing. He wanted it so bad. He’s settling in. Last year were bad shots but he wanted it so bad.”
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) November 5, 2024
The guard finished with 24 points, four blocks, three assists, and three steals, but it wasn’t enough as the Wizards lost 125-112. However, his impressive display was one of several he’s had this season as he’s showcasing the form that prompted the Warriors to hand him a four-year, $128 million deal in 2022.