Jordan Poole wanted his Washington Wizards to beat his former team the Golden State Warriors, but they couldn’t do it with a 125-112 loss.

However, Poole earned the respect and praise of his former teammate and part-time opponent Draymond Green.

Green also explained why he feels Poole struggled in his first year with the team. Wizards and why things might be different this season.

“He plays much better” Green said of Poole via ESPN’s Instagram page. “As a competitor, you just want to show everything you’ve got, and I think last year he was putting on a lot of pressure. He wanted it to happen so badly, and this year he’s a lot more settled. He don’t shoot. He took last year. They were bad shots. I think it was a matter of wanting to prove to people so much that “I can have my own team, I can come here and be successful.” that it ends up playing against you… It’s a testament to the patience he’s playing with now. I think he’s doing a good job of settling in and letting the game come to him.

So far this season, Poole is averaging 22.5 points and 5.0 assists per game, two stats he has improved on since last year.

It’s still early for Wizardswho are only six games into the long 82-game schedule, but early feedback has shown that Poole is ready to take the next step and be a true leader for the team.

With reconstruction underway, the Wizards could trade some of the team’s veterans, but Poole appears to be out of those conversations. He seems like someone the Wizards want to keep around long term, and this season could help prove that.

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