Jordan Poole is chasing Bradley Beal for Washington Wizards’ history. Poole hit five threes in the most recent loss to the Raptors, propelling him to second all-time in three-pointers made in a single season in franchise history. Hitting second on the list is an achievement, but he has a chance to break the record headed into the last 11 games this season. Can he do it?
Jordan Poole Eyes This Wizards Record
In just his second season as a Wizard, Poole seems to have found himself in a comfortable situation in Washington for the foreseeable future, leading the team in points (20.5) and assists (4.5) while being the primary creator. While the entire team has struggled to hit the deep ball, currently sitting at 29th in the league in three-point percentage (33.5%), It hasn’t stopped Poole from letting it fly.
Poole’s Season
Poole has improved in every statistical category from last season and is currently shooting his career-high from three (37.5%) this season. While that’s not an overly impressive number, putting him 74th in the league in percentage, it’s certainly a sign of progression the Wizards will look at when considering Poole’s future with the franchise. He’s been the most consistent and effective player on the roster that’s struggling to find anyone else to do so. It hasn’t translated to the win column, being 15-56 on the season and looking to lock up top-three odds for the draft, but it’s a start.
Chasing History
With 11 games left on the season, Poole can break the record and add a little more to it as well. Beal set the record in the 2016-17 season when he hit 223 threes and led the team to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, before losing in a tough seven-game series to the Boston Celtics. Poole needs just 13 threes to break the record, and with him averaging 3.5 threes a game this season, statically speaking he should break it as the season rounds into April.
According to Tankathon.com, the Wizards have the eighth easiest schedule remaining. Out of the eight teams, the Wizards will play, four are in the top 15 in defensive rating. Outside of those four (Magic, Celtics, Heat, Pacers), the Wizards play only the bottom 10 rated opponents. Not only should Poole be able to break the record, but add more to it even if he struggles against the better-rated squads.
The only possible scenarios in which Poole doesn’t break the record is an injury or if the team embraces the full tank and decides to sit him considerable amounts. While Poole hasn’t had a significant drop-off in minutes, March has seen them dip slightly. While every other month, he’s played around 30 minutes a game, this month, his minutes have dropped to just over 24. With that being said, could the Wizards drop it further? Yes, they certainly could. Trying to develop the young talent off the bench of Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson could impact Poole’s ability to break the record.
The Last Word
Overall, Poole has had an impressive second season in Washington, and breaking the record will reward his efforts. Poole looks to solidify his role on the rebuilding squad, and if this season is any tell, Poole will be there for seasons to come. Even if he doesn’t break the record, he still has plenty to be satisfied about this season and the franchise should be proud they grabbed him when they did.
Photo credit: © Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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