Jordan Poole Scores 34 But Can't Escape Mockery In Lakers Loss

Jordan Poole had a season-high 34 points but couldn't escape the wrath of social media as the Wizards lost by three to the Lakers. Fans eagerly shared clips of Poole missing a game-tying shot as well as being the victim of a LeBron James chase-down block. However, as mentioned, Poole notched a season-high in scoring as the Wizards managed to run with the surging Lakers.

Three other Wizards reached 20 points in the monumental effort by one of the worst teams in the NBA. Meanwhile, LeBron and Anthony Davis combined for 71 points in the win. LA has now won two in a row, as the Wizards win follows their huge comeback effort against the Clippers earlier this week. Furthermore, the game against Washington was the start of a five-game homestand for LA, which continues against Denver on Saturday. The Wizards, who have now lost 13 in a row, are next in action against the Clippers this weekend.

Jordan Poole Contract Labeled "One Of The Worst In the NBA Right Now"

However, several anonymous NBA teams recently called Poole's fully guaranteed four-year $128M contract "one of the worst in the league right now", according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Poole was meant to become the face of a new-look Wizards team but has not lived up to expectations. Putting up 16/2.5/3.7, Poole is a mediocre leader on one of the league's worst teams. And yet, because Poole's contract is guaranteed, the Wizards are stuck with him. Furthermore, they will likely owe him a further $2M for playing at least 65 games per season, a necessity because they have no one better to sub in as things stand.

Criticism of Poole has only increased in recent months as he has struggled to make his presence on the league known. Kevin Garnett went as far as to state that Poole "did not belong in the league." Do you think the criticism of Poole is fair? Or do you think people are too harsh on the 24-year-old? Let us know in the comments.

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