The rift between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green is well-documented. Thus, when the former Golden State Warriors teammates took the court against each other on Monday, all eyes were on their interactions. The contest between the two didn’t disappoint.
Poole, now in his second year with the Washington Wizards, finished the night with 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting, four blocks, three assists and three rebounds. Meanwhile, Green had 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three. He also added eight rebounds and five assists and got the 125-112 win for the Warriors.
However, the interaction between Poole and Green paints a story of their continued beef.
Jordan Poole gets physical with Draymond Green
Poole matched defensively on Green on the low block in the first quarter. Green tried to create some separation, swinging his elbows. Poole alertly evaded the swinging elbows but was called for a reach-in foul. The two tapped each other on the chest after the whistle.
Poole ended the Warriors’ possession by jumping a Green pass for a steal into a wide-open dunk in transition.
Poole and Draymond trade taunts
The two kept interacting throughout the game. The highlight was a sequence between the two at the end of the second quarter. Poole knocked down one of his two made three-pointers over Green. Then the Wizards guard pointed right at his teammate-turned-nemesis. However, the Warriors marched the basketball right down the court into a corner three from two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry over Poole before the buzzer for halftime. Green returned the favor by pointing at Poole ahead of a timeout.
Poole played four seasons with the Warriors, winning the 2021-22 NBA championship alongside Green, Curry, and Klay Thompson. Yet, his stay in Golden State got disrupted when Green violently punched Poole during a preseason practice before the 2022-23 season.
The friendship turned into a rivalry. Ultimately, Poole got traded to the Wizards the following offseason.
Poole didn’t want teammate talking to Draymond
There has been plenty of back-and-forth banter over the rift. Monday was a rare instance of the two being on the court with each other since the trade.
At one point during Monday’s game, Jordan Poole walked over and pulled Wizards rookie Bub Carrington away from Draymond Green as they were talking.
After the Warriors’ win, Green commended Poole for his improved play with Washington.
“He’s playing a lot better. As a competitor, you just want to show everything you got, and I think last year he was pressing a lot. He just wanted it to happen so bad, and this year, he’s a lot more settled in. He’s not taking the shots he was taking last year. They were bad shots. I think it was a matter of wanting it so bad to prove to people that ‘I can have my own team, I can come here and be successful,’ that it ends up working against you. … That speaks to the patience he’s now playing with. I think he’s doing a good job of settling down and letting the play come to him.”
Green is a four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest defenders in league history. Meanwhile, Poole is striving to make his mark, breaking out of the Warriors’ shadow. Now adversaries, both Draymond Green and Jordan Poole cannot separate from that practice two years ago.
The two are slated to see each other on the court again Jan. 18 in San Francisco.
