» BELL’S FLAMBOYANT DUNK HAS PEOPLE TALKING
DALLAS — The clock wound down, the seconds ticking off forgettable moments of basketball that few will ever remember besides the ones that played. But then Warriors rookie forward Jordan Bell woke everyone up.
On a fast break, Bell threw the ball off the backboard and slammed it home before drawing a foul. Draymond Green and Kevin Durant leaped out of their seat as if they were ready to declare Bell the winner of an NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle called timeout before fuming about the gesture during a double-digit blowout. Warriors coach Steve Kerr had the look of a concerned parent as he spoke to Bell on the sideline.
Who knew the most talked about play in the Warriors’ 133-103 win over the Mavericks on Monday would happen during mop-up duty?
“I didn’t think it’d be that crazy,” Bell said in the locker room afterwards. “When somebody reverses it, I don’t see people going crazy for that. It’s two points at the end of the day.”
Bell then shook his head and feigned disbelief. “It’s a dunk,” Bell added.
The Mavericks saw it more than just a dunk. They took it as disrespectful, as the play gave the Warriors a 121-94 lead with 2:43 left in the game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr remarked that veterans David West and Shaun Livingston did not care for the showboating. And Kerr pulled Bell to the side after the play, laying out the implications and warning him to protect himself from any potential backlash.
No one on the Mavericks’ retaliated afterwards. But when Kerr approached Carlisle to clear the air once the game ended, Carlisle walked right past him.
“It caught me off guard,” Kerr said. “He’s just out there having fun. The main thing he needs to understand is it’s going to offend some people. So be ready for them to come back at you. You have to be careful with what you’re doing. He’s just having fun.”
Kerr sounded sympathetic and understanding toward Bell’s want to have fun and Dallas’ resentment for showboating. But Warriors forward Draymond Green was hardly as diplomatic.
“Listen man. When you get on a basketball floor, I don’t care if you get out there with two minutes to go up 25 (points) or two minutes to go down 25,” Green said. “Somebody is evaluating you. You got to play the game just like if it’s tied up or you’re up four or you’re down four. You got to play the game the same way as if someone is evaluating you.”
The Warriors have liked their evaluation in Bell. They have remained giddy about him after paying the Chicago Bulls nearly $3.5 million to secure his draft rights with the 38th pick. Afterwards, Kerr called on for Bell to master his film study on various opponents. But Kerr has often praised Bell for his athleticism, hustle and versatility. With Bell averaging 4.5 points on 90 percent shooting and 2.3 rebounds in 7.8 minutes of the bench. That has proven good enough to climb the depth chart ahead of forwards Kevon Looney and Damian Jones.
During that time, Green has often given Bell both positive and critical feedback on the court, on the bench and behind the scenes.
What was Green’s message to Bell about his highlight reel?
“You want to throw it off the backboard, feel free and dunk the ball,” Green said. “He got the And 1. It’s a great play. I don’t got no message for him. Do what you do. Play basketball. That’s what he did.”
As for Bell disrespecting his opponent?
“I don’t get up into the whole ‘They’re winning by this much, that’s bad.’ Says who?” Green said. “Dunk the ball. What was the difference if he threw it off the backboard and dunked, as opposed to grabbing it and dunking it? It’s a dunk. I don’t get off into that play. Great play. Amazing. Did you see it? It was dope. He got an And 1 too.”
Green then realized he actually needed to tell Green a message.
“He missed the free throw, though,” Green said. “You got to talk him about that. That’s my message for him. Make the free throw.”