With this 7-of-15 performance from the field, Jordan Poole is OFFICIALLY shooting over 30% from the field this season. He has shown real improvement over the past couple games as his role increased with the departure of Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks. He still has those absolute dud games, but the games where he scores with something approximating efficiency are becoming more common.
Despite his recent improvements in shooting accuracy, Poole is easily on his way to becoming the worst shooter in the three-point era (out of players who attempted at least 400 field goals). He’s a full 2.5% below the next worst shooter, Gerald Wilkins, who shot 32.5% from the field for the Magic in 1997-1998. Vince Carter in 2014-15 and some dude named Vonteego Cummings in 2000-01 are also way down there. Vonteego? Isn’t that a type of cheese?
I rag on players all the time for not shooting 40% from the field. I derive joy from it. I do not derive much joy from pointing out that Poole is barely at 30% and that he’s so far away from 40% that it’s basically a mirage in the desert at this point. He didn’t ask to be thrown into a big role like this when he obviously wasn’t ready for it. I hold a sincere hope that he improves his shooting as his career goes along and that his rookie season is looked back on as an unfortunate anomaly in an otherwise solid career. Is that too optimistic? It probably is.