Ankle injury to cost Bell at least 2 weeks
CHICAGO — Warriors forward Jordan Bell will miss at least two weeks with an inflamed left ankle, the team announced Friday morning.
Bell, who had an MRI exam Thursday, is expected to be evaluated by team doctors Feb. 2. That leaves Golden State without the rookie for at least five games.
“It’s good news, overall,” head coach Steve Kerr said after practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “There’s no structural damage is the main thing. He’s a young guy who heals quickly, so hopefully this is best-case scenario.”
Twenty-four seconds into Wednesday night’s 119-112 win over the Bulls, Bell landed awkwardly after trying unsuccessfully to block a Robin Lopez dunk. Bell was on the floor for more than a minute, grabbing his left ankle and grimacing, as teammates surrounded him and a team trainer tended to him.
Bell tried to walk off the court on his own power, but was in enough pain that he needed to be rolled to the visiting locker room in a wheelchair. X-rays were negative. Friday, Bell wasn’t wearing a boot and had no crutches.
Little more than halfway through his rookie season, Bell has emerged as a second-round steal. He is averaging 5.2 points, four rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 37 games. Though he makes mistakes, Bell has excelled as a small-ball center capable of guarding all five positions.
Bell’s absence frees up more consistent minutes for forward
Kevon Looney, who has spent much of the season trading spots with Bell on the depth chart.
Last summer, after injuries and lagging production limited him to 58 of a possible 206 NBA games in his first two seasons with the Warriors, Looney overhauled his diet, slogged through an intensive workout regimen and shed 30 pounds from his 6-foot-9 frame.
His defensive versatility and rebounding ability have been big on a team stocked with elite scoring options. With the offense flowing through Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Looney is free to focus on crashing the glass, switching off screens, setting picks and bringing energy.
“As happy as I’ve been with his play, I’m most happy with his health,” Kerr said of Looney, who is averaging 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes over his past four games. “He played 32 minutes the other night, and he had never played that much in his career. He had a couple hip surgeries early in his career. He worked so hard to get himself in shape, get his body right and he’s holding up really well. That’s the main thing.” Green on snub: Had it only been up to the fans, Green would be starting in the NBA All-Star Game next month in Los Angeles. The problem? Though he received the secondmost fan votes among Western Conference frontcourt players, Green was rated seventh by his fellow players.
“I don’t care what other players think about me, if they don’t play on my team,” Green said. “That don’t matter.”