"Would just leave it there": Jordan Poole's 'Poole Party' towels giveaway at Wizards game has NBA Twitter in splits

Jordan Poole looked like he was on the cusp of becoming a star with the Golden State Warriors during the 2021-22 season. He played a key role for the Dubs in the playoffs, particularly against the Boston Celtics in the Finals. “Poole Party” was seemingly on his way to becoming the third member of the “Splash Bros.”

If Poole wants to reach that stardom, he would have to do it as a member of the Washington Wizards. The Warriors traded him in the off-season for veteran point guard Chris Paul. There have not been plenty of instances to celebrate the “Poole Party” in Washington with the way he has been performing.

On Thursday night, the Wizards announced that they will be giving souvenirs when they host the Utah Jazz. The team will be handing out towels with Jordan Poole’s trademark celebration splashed across them.

Basketball fans on social media didn’t waste time commenting on the Washington Wizards’ plan:

“I would just leave it there nah jk it’s nice”

Without the shadows of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green looming large over him, Jordan Poole hasn’t lived up to expectations. He is averaging 16.7 points on 41.3% shooting, including 30.8% from behind the arc. His field goal percentages are the lowest in his career since he was a rookie with the Warriors.

More than just losing his shooting touch, Poole has become a punchline in the NBA for his lack of focus, hustle and awareness on the defensive end. He has become a staple in “Shaqtin-a-Fool” lists. Many are saying that he has been exposed without his future Hall of Fame teammates.

The Washington Wizards expect more out of Jordan Poole, particularly since he is still in the first of a four-year, $128 million contract. Perhaps giving out “Poole Party” towels will remind the shooting guard of what he could do before Draymond Green sucker punched him.

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Opponents party when Jordan Poole is on the court

Jordan Poole was never an above-average defender during his stint with the Golden State Warriors. However, he played on a couple of Warriors teams that were elite on that end, masking his defensive liabilities.

Now that he’s with the Washington Wizards, his ineptitude on the defensive end has been fully exposed. Washington is giving up 124.8 points, the worst in the NBA, when “Poole Party” is on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. That figure drops to 118. 4 when he sits on the bench. Washington’s defense is bad, but it gets considerably worse when he plays.

What ails Jordan Poole on that end is not even his lack of defensive abilities. He has shown very little effort to even bother the person he is guarding. Poole barely puts up a hand to contest shots and often nonchalantly jogs back to play defense after a missed shot.

Opposing teams don’t need souvenir towels to remind themselves of “Poole Party.” They only need to look at the Wizards’ No. 13 jersey and work from there.