Hoping that Bell plays like his idol
On a Warriors team featuring reserved AllStars Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, Draymond Green provides a necessary spark. His bravado and defensive tenacity have been a driving force behind Golden State’s three straight NBA Finals appearances.
In reviewing video of Oregon forward Jordan Bell, Warriors general manager Bob Myers noticed that same competitiveness. It is a big reason Golden State acquired the rights Thursday night to Bell, who went No. 38 overall in the NBA draft to the
Chicago Bulls.
“We’re thrilled,” Myers said. “I actually was not optimistic we would be able to get him, but it came to fruition.”
While preparing for a draft in which they had no picks, Warriors executives placed a red “B” next to the names of the players they were willing to buy a pick to select. Bell, whom the team had projected as a first-round selection, was one such prospect.
When he slid to the second round, where contracts are nonguaranteed, Golden State paid the Bulls $3.5 million for the rights to Bell. That was only $100,000 less than the Warriors were allocated under NBA rules to spend. To acquire the rights last year from Milwaukee for UNLV guard Patrick McCaw, who also went No. 38, Golden State paid $2.4 million.
Because the Warriors purchased the rights to Bell, they are expected to offer him a guaranteed deal. He will bolster a frontcourt that faces major questions this summer. Outside of second-year center Damian Jones, Golden State doesn’t have a prototypical big man under contract for next season. Zaza Pachulia, James Michael McAdoo, JaVale McGee and David West are free-agents-to-be.
“We love his ability to defend,” Myers said of Bell. “He can probably defend most positions . ... That’s huge.”
Bell, 22, emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect when he followed up a near tripledouble against Kansas in the Elite Eight (11 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists) with a 13-point, 16-rebound showing against North Carolina in the Final Four. At 6-foot-9, 224 pounds, he is an undersized power forward who can play center in small-ball lineups.
After two seasons as an essential role player for the Ducks, Bell blossomed into one of Division I’s top defensive players as a junior. He ranked 13th and 25th nationally, respectively, with 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. In winning the 2016-17 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award, Bell proved that he is far more than an interior defender. He is adept at working off screens and can guard all five positions.
Though still raw offensively, Bell seldom takes risky shots. His 63.6-percent clip from the field last season was a school record. He feasted on putbacks, corralling 12.4 percent of available offensive rebounds.
Bell, a Long Beach native, projects as a low-cost role player in the Warriors’ switchheavy system. He will be introduced to the media Friday afternoon and will wear No. 2.
In addition to learning under one of his idols in Green, he’ll have the chance to play alongside one of his former Oregon teammates, Chris Boucher. The 6-foot-10, 200pound forward has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with Golden State, according to the Vertical’s Shams Charania. Myers conceded that the Warriors are “moving toward” making that move official.
“Draymond is a great mentor,” Myers said. “But it’s not just him . ... We have some pretty good vets for our young guys to learn from.”