Golden State Warriors: The importance of Jordan Bell

The Golden State Warriors may be depending heavily on Jordan Bell this season.

Jordan Bell doesn’t exactly seem like he will play a significant role this season. However, he could be more important than you think. In fact, the Golden State Warriors might be counting on him to play big minutes this year.

When he entered the league, Bell quickly drew comparisons to Draymond Green. He is a versatile big who could do it all. His personality on and off the court mimicked that of Green. Now, he has had a full season learning under Green himself and has made improvements in his game.

Last season, Bell played in spurts with the Warriors. Steve Kerr experimented with Bell in the starting lineup for a few games. He also managed to get some playing time when other players were injured. In these minutes, Bell proved to be effective but slightly inconsistent.

In his best stretch last year, Bell averaged 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game. Bell held this level of play for 15 consecutive games and started in eight of them. The Warriors went 13-2 in this stretch and Bell displayed that he could have an impact on the game.

This season, Bell will be needed more than ever. The starting position will be open for a number of games. DeMarcus Cousins will miss a decent portion of the season and the Warriors will need a replacement. Bell is the next man up in the rotation.

Golden State will look for Bell to fill that open spot in the lineup and carry them while Cousins is recovering. Even when Cousins returns, Jordan may need to play extra minutes to ease Boogie into the rotation.

How Bell plays will be huge for both his career and the Warriors season. A strong performance could raise his value in the league. This is his chance to earn a big contract in the future. Furthermore, the Dubs will be well on their way to the best record in the league if Bell plays beyond expectations.

This could arguably be the most important year of Jordan Bell’s career. He is young and full of potential. This season is when he should go all out and prove his worth. The Warriors will be counting on him to be effective.