SAN FRANCISCO — The NBA’s crackdown on travel and carry violations slapped the Warriors sideways a few times this year, most recently on Steph Curry’s called travel on what could have been a game-tying 3-pointer in Dallas. But Jordan Poole has been the team’s worst offender.
Since Poole was called for three carry violations in a loss to Miami early last month, NBA officials have been relatively inconsistent on that call. Sometimes they take a heavy-handed approach, sometimes not.
Poole says a conversation with officials on a game-to-game basis won’t help find that thin line. All they can do is “be better as a team” to tighten the screws.
“It does not matter,” Poole said. “They’re either going to call it or not. You can go up there and plead your case as much as you want, but they have a mind of their own. No matter what you say, how polite you are, they have their own agenda.”
Less ballhandling responsibilities could help Poole in that department. Draymond Green’s insertion into the second unit as an offensive facilitator has taken the ball out of Poole’s hands a bit more, freeing him up to play with a score-first mentality.
While Poole is a strong passer, he couldn’t quite juggle his role as a scorer with primary ball-handling responsibilities and the more unfamiliar defensive attention that comes with it. With more time, Poole can find that balance, but the learning curve made for some frenetic minutes until Green stepped in.
“Earlier in the season, when I was out there being a primary playmaker, that’s how I was being guarded,” Poole said. “So being able to have another playmaker out there who can also set screens and get guys open opens the floor a lot more.”
Poole is finding his groove offensively despite shooting just 30 percent from 3. He isn’t taking rushed shots, finding more success getting to the rim and has finished in the plus-side on the plus-minus statistic over the last four games.
“Yeah, especially with Draymond, I can be more aggressive,” Poole said. “I know if I need a shot or get a look, I know where I need to go to get one. So I can play-make and make the right plays throughout the course of the game.”
Anthony Lamb’s fit
Two-way player Anthony Lamb has been a crucial part of the rotation. Something few likely predicted when the season began. Years of watching the Warriors in the playoffs gave the 24-year-old a sense of how the Warriors system flows, but his G League experience prepared him best to jump right in.
Lamb was a late addition to the roster — he was not on the pre-season trip to Japan — and signed after a stint with the Houston Rockets’ G League affiliate. He had a huge fan already in coach Steve Kerr, who took note of Lamb’s passing ability and feel while watching a game between the RGV Vipers and Santa Cruz Warriors.
While Lamb played a traditional frontcourt role at college in Vermont, he transformed into a versatile and positionless player with the Vipers.
“You have to play with your mind and not just run to the same spot every time,” Lamb. “You have to make a read and play every time. If you’re late, then everything doesn’t work as well. Getting used to that and understanding the game is more fluid than what a lot of people try to make it be, it helps me a lot. And it’s able to show here at the highest level.”
The Warriors will have to keep an eye on his usage; his two-way contract allows him to play just 50 games this year with the Warriors. But for now, Lamb is a necessary cog for the bench because he can play the stretch four position for a team lacking in front court depth.
Where is Andre Iguodala?
Iguodala has been in street clothes and has been active and vocal on the sideline. But it is unclear when he’ll will play his first game this season.
The 38-year-old has not participated in a full contact scrimmage, as far as Kerr knew. But he’s going through every practice with the team.
“All I can continue to say is we’re much more interested in him being healthy in the second half of the season so we won’t throw him out there yet,” Kerr said. “We’ll see where this is, but for the time being he’s just putting in a ton of work.”
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