Jordan Poole has already become a target for criticism in his first season with the Wizards, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Beyond his penchant for questionable shots and high-risk plays, controversy erupted this week via a video clip from Sunday’s loss at Brooklyn. Poole appears uninterested in the play that coach Wes Unseld Jr. is designing, Wallace notes, focusing his attention elsewhere until a teammate taps him on the shoulder.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Unseld said he hasn’t watched the video and isn’t concerned about Poole’s level of commitment.
“There’s a thousand moments, I think, during the game, and there are times where coaches are talking to players, players are talking to players,” Unseld said. “That happens. I think right now for him, he’s probably under a little bit of a microscope. People are looking for things. So I don’t know the exact sequence of the events, but it’s not a big deal until it becomes a big deal.”
Poole became a leader for a rebuilding Washington franchise when he was acquired in a trade with Golden State this summer. It’s not a role that he’s used to after entering the league with a veteran Warriors team, and Unseld said that has resulted in extra attention from fans who are monitoring his behavior.
Poole also dismissed concerns about the video, saying he understood the play from Unseld and it was “a very normal timeout.”
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