Wizards' Jordan Poole laughs off Stephen A. Smith's diss as 'barbershop talk'

12/18/2024 07:22 PM

Celebrating and showboating after a nice play have always been a big part of the NBA, and Jordan Poole is known for it in particular. However, famed TV personality Stephen A. Smith doesn’t think the Washington Wizards guard has earned the right.

Poole won’t stop being himself, though.

I asked Jordan Poole how he felt about Stephen A. Smith's recent comments…he laughed it off and dismissed it as "barbershop talk" #wizardspic.twitter.com/rwkAgBswQT

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 18, 2024

“Nah, I don’t even be watching it, [Smith’s show]” the former NBA champion said with a smile after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s just barbershop talk to me. That’s all it is.”

Smith criticized a viral moment during Sunday’s 112-98 loss to the Boston Celtics. Poole crossed up Celtics guard Payton Pritchard and pointed at him when he fell to the ground, but the playful taunt allowed Sam Hauser to close out. Thus, Poole had to pass the ball instead of taking the wide-open three seconds earlier.

Both the play and Smith’s comments are in the clip below, via ESPN First Take.

"Gone from a champion [in the Warriors] to a [Wizards] team that since he has arrived is 18-88. 70 games under .500 but you showboated. That's why his a*s is in the nation's capital."

Stephen A. Smith on Jordan Poole's taunt to Payton Pritchard.pic.twitter.com/KrVOuhvhG2

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2024

“We all know he caused a little trouble in Golden State. Ego got a bit big. We know how Draymond [Green] responded to that, and ultimately how he couldn’t stay there any longer,” Smith said. “So he gets moved, and he gets moved to a situation going from a champion to a team that since he’s arrived is 18-88. 70 games under .500, but you showboated. That’s why his a** is in the nation’s capital, and they’re doing whatever they can do in Golden State.”

Poole, of course, played for the Golden State Warriors before they traded him to Washington in July 2023. Smith was referring to when Green punched Poole at practice in the fall of 2022, framing it as a result of the latter player’s ego. Poole had reportedly called Green an “expensive backpack for 30,” implying that Steph Curry carried him throughout his Hall-of-Fame-caliber career, via NBC Sports.

Old locker-room drama aside, does Smith have a point, or should he relax?

Jordan Poole has matured on the Wizards

Poole was both a different player and person when Golden State drafted him 28th overall in 2019. The Michigan alum was coming off a successful collegiate career in which he led the Wolverines to two straight Sweet Sixteen berths. While he often flashed his dynamic scoring ability in both the NBA and G League his first couple of seasons, he was criticized for having more flare than polish.

Poole’s basketball IQ hadn’t evolved yet, as he sometimes took ill-advised shots instead of spreading the ball around, which led to streaky results. However, the Milwaukee native took a step forward in the 2021-22, becoming a mainstay in Golden State’s rotation and leading the league with a 92.5 free-throw percentage. It’s no coincidence that the Warriors won the championship that year.

Poole played well again the following season despite the drama, averaging 20.4 points and 4.5 assists across 30 minutes a game while appearing in all 82 regular-season contests. It was clear at this point that the talented showman’s trajectory was going up.

Poole being traded from a contender to a losing team as a punishment for being egotistical is one way to spin the narrative, but what does it matter? The NBA is a business, and organizations are more worried about winning than trading a young and ascending player simply to teach him a lesson.

While Golden State’s brass may have favored the long-established Green over Poole, it didn’t ship out the latter hooper for nothing. The Warriors didn’t trade him until they felt they could get a valuable return, which turned out to be 12-time All-Star Chris Paul.

Nowadays, “Point Poole” is flourishing in Washington. The 25-year-old is having a career year running the Wizards’ offense, averaging 20.3 points and 5.1 assists with a 43.4% clip from the field and 39.2% from deep. While the Pritchard incident wasn’t his finest moment, it’s nothing compared to how much he’s helped the team, as he leads in points, assists, and steals (1.7 per game). His efficient shooting and consistent facilitation show growth.

Additionally, it’s not a revelation to point out that a rebuilding organization has a subpar record recently. While Washington isn’t winning many games right now, Poole is leading a young group that has shown promise, and these games are important for its development. Moments like Bilal Coulibaly shutting down the league’s best players on the perimeter or Alex Sarr constantly blocking shots show that.

Conflating Poole’s Warriors era with the Pritchard incident doesn’t hold much weight once considering his body of work in the nation’s capital thus far. However, “barbershop talk” will always be popular, and these types of narratives are par for the course.

Poole, though, has bigger fish to fry as he reaches his prime.

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