Jordan Bell
Jordan Bell gave Warriors’ fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic after a solid rookie season. Bell stepped in as a small-ball center, flashed his exceptional athletic ability, and steadily improved throughout the season. Many thought we had found another second-round draft steal a la Draymond Green.
However, Bell’s sophomore season was a whole different story.
Bell consistently looked uncomfortable and out of place, taking a major step back from his rookie year progress, all while slowly, but surely, sliding down to the end of Kerr’s bench rotations.
As a result, Bell’s production fell. He saw reductions in his minutes, field goal %, points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. The Warriors were outscored by 9.3 points per 100 possessions while he was on the floor his sophomore season, as opposed to outscoring their opponents by 6 points per 100 possessions while he played during his rookie campaign.
Bell’s reduced playing time boiled over when he had a nationally televised dispute with Steve Kerr on the bench during a game. I understand wanting to see time on the court, but man, he surely didn’t earn it with his play.
https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/1087589253494829056
Kerr blew the argument off as a ‘misinterpretation,’ and through the second half of the regular season, Kerr did seem to gain more trust in his second-year center, giving him more playing time.
When that argument took place, Bell’s minutes were at a season low. He averaged 9.1 minutes per game in the month of January. Those minutes increased to 13.5, 11.6, and 13.2 in February, March, and April, respectively.
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Bell has the tools to be a successful center in the Warriors’ small-ball line ups. He’s quick and can jump out of the building. He has shown moments of defensive competency, able to switch onto multiple positions, but much of this has been clouded by mental errors: missed defensive assignments, sloppy turnovers, and poor decision making.
The Warriors’ will ask for Bell to step up to the plate once again in 2019/20, hoping that he can be a smart player on the defensive end and an explosive rim-runner on the offensive end.
If Bell wants to stay in this league for a long time, he will have to work on his post moves, which as of now he has basically none, and develop a jump shot. He did show some signs of improving his mid-range touch late last season.
Prediction:
Bell’s two-years of experience will show next season and he will regain his footing in the Warriors’ rotation. Bell will improve in the mid-range and made 15-foot jumpers will not come as a surprise.
Kerr will continue to use him on a match up basis, playing him more in the small ball, fast paced line ups, as he will struggle to hold own against the true big centers of the league.