Back in 2017, Jordan Bell was hailed as the sleeper pick for the year’s NBA Draft. And when the Golden State Warriors landed him, it was supposed to be a sign of their quest for complete dominance in the upcoming seasons.
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Things, however, have transpired quite differently. The two seasons with the Warriors have been quite rough for the power forward. There have been highlight performances, but they have been far and few between. Fan opinion on the 24-year-old is quite polarized.
Poor off the court behavior for Jordan Bell
There have been many redeeming and outstanding highlights in Jordan Bell’s short career with the Warriors so far, particularly that off the glass self alley-oop that left even Kevin Durant speechless.
But for almost every shining moment on the court, there have been plenty poor ones too- the time when he was suspended for buying an item using his assistant coach Mike Brown’s account at a hotel comes to mind. For every key minute he got in the postseason, there is the time when he lived in Steve Kerr’s doghouse. Jordan Brown has had his fair share of controversies in his short NBA career.
Tough decision ahead for Golden State Warriors
With Jordan Bell’s contract up this summer, Bob Myers, the man running the basketball at the Warriors, has some tough decisions to make.
While Bell was relatively consistent in his debut year, his metrics since have fallen across the board- a consequence of both reduce playing time and lower productivity on court. But this “second season syndrome” is well documented, and has affected various players down the years.
Parallels can be made between Bell and Patrick McCaw, who arrived just a year before Bell. Both were second-round draft picks; both had decent early careers, both then slid into obscurity. But where McCaw refused to learn from veteran tutors, Bell has shown that he wishes to remain in the roster and learn as much as he can. The difference in attitude is already apparent.
The Golden State Warriors also lack depth, and beggars cannot be choosers. With Kevin Durant already out, they need someone to replace him, at least to a certain degree. And Bell could help make up for that loss, at least slightly.
