Jordan Bell
The Warriors have a glaring weakness at the center position due to the aforementioned letting go of their previous big men from a year ago, and the subsequent injury to Damian Jones. Jordan Bell’s sophomore slump hasn’t helped the long-term picture either.
Bell was another key pickup in the second round in last year’s draft as the Warriors paid for his rights, and his defensive prowess was on display a few times a season ago and deep into the playoffs (and eventual NBA Finals) as well. The hope for the Warriors was that he’d take a big leap from year one to year two.
Instead, he’s struggled and the result is inconsistent minutes while hinging on being taken out of the rotation. The New Year’s Eve win against the Phoenix Suns was a promising sign though as Bell put up perhaps his best stat line this season: ten points, six rebounds, two assists and three blocks (with excellent defense on Devin Booker). The caveat here is that Bell will enter restricted free agency this summer, so Golden State will have to assess his play this season and hope to avoid a Patrick McCaw situation once more.