Golden State Warriors: Jordan Bell will get to showcase improvement early on
Jordan Bell seems to have been putting in work this offseason, and he’ll get to showcase his value to the Golden State Warriors earlier in the season.
The Golden State Warriors added to the hatred being thrown their way when they signed superstar center DeMarcus Cousins. Now, they arguably have the most talented roster ever assembled.
While their core five will start and lead the way, Jordan Bell and the second unit with young players like Quinn Cook and Kevon Looney will lead the charge while the starters rest. However, for Bell, it’s a bit different.
Due to DeMarcus Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury, Bell should get the start to begin the season.
With 13 career starters, the second year Bell should rack up at least 30 more with Cousins out for quite a while still. Forbes wrote back in February that Cousins might be lucky to hit the court prior to the All-Star break.
The 6-foot-10 center was pulling up from three during summer league play, so how can’t you assume improvement is on its way?
Last season, Bell averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Just like in college, it was Bell’s versatility that set him apart. Bell also recorded 0.6 steals and exact one block per game. To even further enhance his value, Bell shot over 63% from the field, showcasing how he can use his athleticism to finish above defenders.
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When Bell was given bigger minutes, he awarded the Warriors. During an eleven-game stretch last season, Bell played 23.1 minutes per game, far above his season average. He averaged 8.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 turnovers per game on 60% from the field.
Bell, unlike many 2017-2018 rookies, opted to play at least a few summer league games. While Bell didn’t show the elite scoring that Golden State might’ve hoped for, he did do exactly what Golden State needed him to.
Bell isn’t a gifted scorer. He an athlete though. He can do some intangibles that set him apart from other young centers. Those intangibles don’t always reflect on the stat line, but sometimes they do.
During his two summer league games, Bell put 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game.
While he might not have the vision or basketball mindset that Draymond Green has, his gritty, do-it-all mentality is almost exactly like Green, and Bell, who is just 23-years-old, has the chance to usher in the next era of elite talent in Golden State.
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Hopefully, Bell can transition his summer league success to regular season success as he’ll be seeing big minutes early next season.