Friday’s 113-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers displayed the Warriors’ resiliency after giving up a 23 point lead.
It also provided breakout performance for rookie forward Jordan Bell.
The 22-year-old scored a career-high 20 points to go with 10 rebounds, with an array of highlight plays around the rim, including a nifty layup midway through the second quarter to put the Warriors up 14.
The output showed both the potential the team saw in Bell when they picked him 35th in the 2017 NBA Draft, and the growth Bell has shown through the first 32 games of the season.
While Bell has shown a knack for making the highlight play, the forward frequently missed defensive assignments, often missing switches and biting on opponent’s pump fakes.
Perhaps the most glaring example of the Bell riddle came in a Nov 24 matchup against the Chicago Bulls when the rookie made a block on Bulls center Robin Lopez, then, on the same possession, bit on a Jordan Crawford pump fake before committing a foul.
The whole Jordan Bell experience tonight. Blocks Lopez on a possession then bites hard on a Jordan Crawford pump fake. pic.twitter.com/HcJJHE2h4j
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) November 25, 2017
Bell’s work on curtailing his mistakes have been apparent. In an effort to combat Bell’s slip-ups, assistant coach Jarron Collins has routinely worked with the rookie, showing him clips of his defensive possessions, explaining where to go during rotations.
Veteran forward Draymond Green has also taken Bell under his wing, frequently giving the rookie advice on and off the floor. In addition to Green’s guidance, David West, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Zaza Pachulia have all taken turns grooming Bell.
Bell’s biggest impression on the team, though, has been his willingness to learn.
“He’s a sponge,” Green said. “He’s one of those guys who you talk to and he sits there, looks you in your eye and shakes his head yes. He asks questions. Very curious, and that’s a great trait to have.”
Green added: “He doesn’t think he knows it all. He honestly doesn’t act like he knows anything, which is great. He goes out there, he plays hard, but he doesn’t act like he’s the brain. Yet you see his play and you think he has some smarts to him. As a rookie, that’s a great quality for him to have.”
Green’s mentorship also manifested in a synergy between the two as they started alongside each other for the first time.
“I was waiting to play him with KD and Draymond,” Kerr said. “I think the reason he had 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) is because there was so much space.”
The next step in Bell’s evolution could’ve been foreshadowed Friday night: being a regular starter.
In seven career starts, Bell has averaged 8.0 points on 66 percent shooting, to go along with 5.1 rebounds. More importantly, the Warriors are 7-0 in such games.
