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The Golden State Warriors are re-calling a pair of players from the G League. Anthony Slater of The Athletic says the Dubs are bringing back Nico Mannion and Jordan Poole.
The Warriors are expected to recall Jordan Poole and Nico Mannion in advance of Wednesday's game in Portland. They will both be available against the Blazers, assuming no testing issues the next couple days.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2021
The Warriors only have two more games before the NBA All-Star break. They play the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday and then against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Golden State took Mannion in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft. He played in six games with the Dubs, averaging 1.5 points, two assists and 1.3 rebounds before being sent to the G League.
Mannion played well during his time with the Santa Cruz Warriors. The 19-year-old averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line.
Poole was taken 28th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He’s had his struggles finding his footing in the NBA but has shown flashes that he can develop into a regular contributor. Poole played in 15 games with the Dubs this season and averaged 5.5 points and 9.5 minutes per game.
Like Mannion, Poole put up some big numbers in the G League bubble. The 21-year-old put up 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field.
The Warriors need to add a playmaker to their second unit. Veteran Brad Wanamaker has been underwhelming this season and could be a candidate to either be moved or waived. Head coach Steve Kerr complimented Poole for putting in a lot of work during the last offseason.
“Biggest thing with Jordan, he’s had a great offseason,” Kerr said. ”He’s been our most consistent worker day in and day out. He’s been at Chase working with our coaches. He’s put the time and effort in. He’s really earned a right to play and get his opportunity.
“I think he’s earned some good fortune. I hope the basketball gods reward him accordingly because he’s done everything possible to put himself in position to succeed.”
Poole has the talent to be a difference-maker, but he needs to put it all together to get consistent minutes. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Kerr give either Poole or Mannion some playing time in the next two games with the bench being so up-and-down during the first half of the season.