Jordan Bell, Junior, Forward/Center, Oregon
Overview:
Jordan Bell soared up draft boards following his excellent performance in the NCAA Tournament. Bell averaged 12.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks during Oregon’s run to the Final Four. His biggest strength is his outstanding defense, as he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Bell is undersized for a center at just 6-9, which will likely hurt his draft stock. Teams today are always looking for the next Draymond Green and Bell might just fit that profile as a versatile defender that can be found later in the draft.
Bell makes up for his lack of ideal size with his athleticism, instincts and high motor. He always seems to put himself in the right position to make a play on shot attempts around the rim. He rotates extremely well and uses his 7-foot wingspan to collect blocks with his help-side defense. Bell has valuable defensive versatility with his ability to defend the perimeter as well. He has good lateral quickness for a big man and can switch screens, which is a key skill in today’s NBA. Bell projects best as a small-ball center, but he has an average frame for a center and can be bullied in the post by bigger NBA players. He’s a tremendous rebounder and is always active on the glass, but his size can hinder his rebounding ability. This really showed up as he missed two crucial defensive box-outs on free throws in the Final Four contest against North Carolina.
Offensively, Bell doesn’t have as much to offer yet from an NBA perspective. He is mobile and athletic for a center, which makes him a weapon in transition. In the half-court, he mostly just hangs around the baseline, always ready for a back cut or an alley-oop opportunity. Bell is extremely efficient finishing at the rim, as displayed with his 63.6% shooting from the field. He’s also aggressive going for offensive rebounds and is always a threat for a put-back dunk. At the next level, teams will hope to use Bell in screens as a roll man. He projects as a solid finisher off of dives to the rim with his good hands and quick leaping ability. He’s also a solid passer and can make quick decisions on the catch to pass out to shooters.
Bell could become an exceptional player at the next level by expanding his offense. He’s not yet capable of creating his own offense, mostly just scoring off passes to him around the rim. He isn’t a weapon in the post because of his size and lack of advanced post moves. He struggles against legitimate length and doesn’t absorb contact well, averaging only 3.0 FTA per game. He had a high turnover rate, mostly due to his inability to create on the drive or in the post. He does have a decent handle for a big man and has a solid first step that he can use to get to the rim. Bell only made three career threes at Oregon, but did shoot a respectable 70.1% from the foul line. Becoming a mid-range shooting threat would be very beneficial to his game.
Final Projection:
Jordan Bell can bring value to the NBA right away with his defensive prowess. Teams will love his ability to protect the rim and also step out and defend the perimeter. Offensively, Bell still has some work to do. He can already score around the rim on opportunities created by others. His size will likely always be a limitation in the low-post, but he can step out and use his quickness as a weapon in the mid-post. If Bell wants to become a legitimate threat in the NBA, he should look to improve his mid-range shooting and driving ability. There will probably never be another Draymond, but Jordan Bell could play a similar role in the NBA.
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