'21 Season E1P Review: Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney
'21 Season E1P Review: Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney
The breakout bench player and the fragile rock
A list of all Explain One Play articles and videos is at The new Explain One Play index. Plus visit the 2020-21 Season Reviews Guide.
To get us in the mood for next season, I’m going to run some Explain One Play highlights of 2020-21. Many of these previously were subs-only articles, but are now free as a present to our faithful off-season readers.
Explain One Play: Kevon Looney flattens the Bulls with huge screens
Kevon Looney showed his championship composure with big play after big play down the stretch, springing Stephen Curry open with huge screens, tying the game with hustle and freeing Damion Lee for the game winning shot. From the 2020.12.27 GSW-CHI game.
Explain One Play - Jordan Poole and the Pre-Bubble Bench Growing Pains
Here is a live reaction video to the second quarter of the DET-GSW game on 2021.01.30.
This one focuses on some of the hiccups the Bench Squad experiences as they try to feed Eric Paschall, the small ball center from 2525 (or is it 2015?); Brad Wanamaker, the elder statesman who looks not a day older than 45; and Jordan Poole, the plucky sophomore who forgot how to shoot, remembered, and then poured in points before Kerr sent him to the G-League Bubble.
Explain One Play - Jordan Poole Runs An Old Mark Jackson Play, HORNS Flex
With Steph and everyone tall out, the Warriors have talked about simplifying their offense and this is an interesting example of that. I wanted to dig into this one play that they've ran for Jordan Poole. It's actually a simple play. But it has a bit of history to it. Back in the Mark Jackson days, he got criticism for his simple playbook. But there WAS a playbook and he liked to run the flex action out of a Horns formation. Walk down memory lane to see HORNS Flex as run by Stephen Curry, Jarrett Jack, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and finally Jordan Poole in the 2021.03.19 MEM-GSW game.
Kamikaze dive bomb ... BLAM!!! Been off the grid, family in 4 locations while looking for a house, good vibes people. Well, the hotel has air conditioning, so it ain't all bad. Can't comment on current or recent threads, but I have one all important thought headed into next season.
The Warriors of old were about joy. Curry embodies joy, he is the archetype around which this dynasty was formed. But I feel like the NEED to win another Championship, to cement the Warriors Dynasty, has become a job. There is an underlying sense of seriousness and urgency about the Warriors moving forward in terms of embellishing Curry's legacy. I believe this is a mistake.
I believe Steph-Klay-Dray need to throw away all ideas about trying to replicate the past, forget about all ideas about "they have to win another Championship BECAUSE ..... ", and just play basketball, with joy, with emotion, with resolve, and just have fun with the team they are playing with.
They, as a group, need to rediscover the spirit of the 2014-2015 team. Stop being the returning Champion with all of its serious obligations. Just play loud music in practice, play basketball, have fun, embrace the joy of competition. Be the Warriors we all fell in love with. If their goals are just an obligation, if winning a Championship is just a job to prove something only talking heads on TV care about, who cares? I don't want a Warriors team winning a Championship because they were Hell bent on fulfilling the media narrative. I wan the Warriors to win another Chip because they love basketball, rather, they rejoice in playing basketball.
As a fan, F the job, just play with joy.
They both so good they need their own!