Wolverines in the NBA: Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors one win away from Western Conference Finals

Jordan Poole is Michigan basketball’s best chance for having a player in the NBA conference finals, with his Golden State Warriors up 3-2 on the Memphis Grizzles. There are five others still alive — not dead yet — but they all trail in their respective series’.

Poole has burst onto the scene this year, and has taken the basketball world by storm with some big-time postseason performances. He’s averaging 20 points, 5.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game and shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range in 10 playoff games. When he’s hot, he’s unlocked another gear for the Warriors — especially since guard Klay Thompson has been hot and cold, himself — who were briefly the West favorites according to Vegas while Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was out with an injury in the opening series.

Without head coach Steve Kerr (illness) the last two games, the Warriors have gone 1-1 but failed to close out the series with the Memphis Grizzles, instead getting drubbed, 134-95 Wednesday. Up 3-2, they’ll get another chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals with a Game 6 victory Friday (10 p.m. ET on ESPN).

The former Michigan guard’s emergence in the back half of the season has shifted around the priorities for Golden State heading into the offseason. Once second or third on the to-do list and with many believing Poole could look around in free agency, extending his contract is now at the top of the docket.

“Poole is extension-eligible this offseason, and a nine-figure contract feels imminent,” Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote. “While the Warriors could wait to pay him until next summer when he enters restricted free agency, they risk both hurting this relationship and letting the market ink him to a contract offer sheet with team-unfriendly terms. The smart move is probably paying him now and positioning him at (or at least near) the center of their next chapter.”

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Here’s a look at the up-to-date NBA Playoffs bracket, followed by an update on each former Michigan player still alive in the postseason.

Trey Burke (2011-13), G, Dallas Mavericks

Michigan’s 2013 national player of the year saw five minutes of action in each of Game 2 and Game 5, tallying three points and two assists in the former and two points in the latter. The Mavericks are back in action Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) for Game 6 at home, a do-or-die scenario.

Western Conference Quarterfinals (4-2 Over Utah Jazz): Burke totaled 14 minutes in three appearances in the series. He combined to shoot 3-of-8 from the field with 10 points and two rebounds.

Regular Season Stats: Appeared in 42 games off the bench, averaging 1.4 assists per outing and shooting 39.1 percent overall and 31.7 percent from three-point range.

Tim Hardaway Jr. (2010-13), G, Dallas Mavericks

The former Michigan guard underwent foot surgery in late January, and hasn’t returned to the court yet. He began “straight jogging” the first week of may and, per Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, was set to progress to cutting and jumping “three to four weeks” after that point.

Regular Season Stats: Opened 20 of his 42 contests, registering 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Shot 39.4 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from deep.

Jordan Poole (2017-19), G, Golden State Warriors

He was quiet in Wednesday night’s Game 5 134-95 blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, shooting 1-of-6 from the floor and posting three points, three assists, one rebound, one block and one steal in 20 minutes. That came on the heels of a 14-point outing (4-12 FG, 0-3 3PT) in a 101-98 Game 4 win Monday. He also added six rebounds and five assists.

The Grizzlies’ big win Wednesday kept the series alive and served as payback for the 142-112 drubbing the Warriors notched last Saturday (May 7). Poole was a huge factor, registering 27 points (11-17 FG, 3-5 3PT), four rebounds and two assists. He went for 20 points (8-16 FG, 1-6 3PT) the game prior, a 106-101 setback in which he also contributed four rebounds and two assists.

He posted 20 points (8-16 FG, 1-6 3PT) in 34 minutes during a 106-101 Game 2 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that evened the series at 1-1. In Game 1, he came off the bench and nearly registered a double-double in a 117-116 victory, shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc with 31 points, nine points and eight rebounds.

The two teams will meet Friday night (10 p.m. ET on ESPN) in San Francisco, with the Warriors having another opportunity to end the series.

Western Conference Quarterfinals (4-1 Over Denver Nuggets): He started all five games and was a force to be reckoned with in the first three contests, scoring 30, 29 and 27 points in a trio of victories, respectively. During that stretch, he nailed 13 of his 22 three-point attempts. He cooled down in the last two outings of the series, scoring a combined 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting.

Regular Season Stats: Started 51 of 76 games, registering 18.5 points, four assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. Shot 44.8 percent overall and 36.4 percent from long range, with both marks standing as career-highs. Led the league with a 92.5 free-throw shooting percentage.

Duncan Robinson (2014-18), F, Miami Heat

The former Michigan sharpshooter’s case has been a curious one. He’s appeared in just two of the five contests this series, with his team up 3-2 on the Philadelphia 76ers. He played just one minute in Game 1, and didn’t see the floor again until he notched 14 minutes in a 120-85 Game 5 win. He went 1-for-3 shooting from three-point land and knocked down one free throw, recording four points, two rebounds and one assist.

Miami and Philadelphia will square off Thursday night (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) in the City of Brotherly Love.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: He came off the bench in all five games, averaging 13.2 minutes per contest (down from 25.9 minutes per outing during the regular season). He made eight of his nine three-point attempts in a blowout win in Game 1, but connected on just two triples the rest of the way, and went 0-for-5 in the final outing of the series.

Regular Season Stats: Recorded 10.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per outing, while connecting on 39.9 percent of his overall looks and 37.2 percent of his triple tries in 79 games with 68 starts. His three-point shooting percentage was down four points from 2020-21 (43.9) and the lowest of his four-year career outside of his rookie season in which he hit just 28.6 percent of his deep tries.

Nik Stauskas (2012-14), G, Boston Celtics

Michigan’s 2014 conference player of the year didn’t appear in the conference quarterfinals, with Boston sweeping the Brooklyn Nets, but has seen action in two outings in the tightly-contested second round series. Boston trails 3-2 after dropping a heartbreaking home game in which they led most of the way but collapsed late to lose, 110-107 on its home floor.

Stauskas played two minutes in each of the first two games, attempting one three-pointer but not registering any other statistics.

Regular Season Stats: Appeared in two games with the Miami Heat before returning to the G League’s Grand Rapids Gold. But after shining there — including a two-game stretch with a combined 100 points — the Boston Celtics signed him to a two-year deal. He played in six games off the bench, averaging 1.2 points per contest and shooting 33.3 percent from the field (2-of-6).