Golden State Warriors: Top 3 performers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

2. JB

As one of the only Santa Cruz Warriors reporters in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ll admit that part of me wishes Jordan Bell wasn’t this NBA-ready because I’ll never get the chance to observe him up close and personal in Surf City.

But if the trade off is seeing him excel in Oakland, then I say it’s completely worth it. He’s been turning heads since the start of the season with his natural athleticism and elite defensive ability, so I highly doubt we’ll be seeing Bell in anything other than a Golden State Warriors uniform any time soon.

On Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bell played 26 minutes as a starter in place of the injured Draymond Green, dropping in 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block on 5-of-6 shooting. He was also a team-high +14.

Standing 6-foot-9, the sky is the limit for the 22-year-old big man, who has slowly but surely continued to carve out a role for himself in the rotation. I see absolutely no reason for Bell not to start even after Draymond comes back, possibly sliding over to the center spot in place of the injured Zaza Pachulia.

While this next player obviously had a case for taking the top spot on my list, it’s entirely plausible to think Bell would have been first on my list — if only he hadn’t concussed Nick Young with an elbow to the face late in the game!