The unique skillset inspired Jordan Bell to model himself after Draymond Green. Green showed with his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame how it is possible to become both a bruising defender and versatile playmaker all at once. And with Green morphing from the Warriors’ 35th overall pick in 2012 to a two-time NBA all-star five years later, Bell sounded determined to replicate that success story once the Warriors acquired his draft rights from Chicago for the 38th selection.
Despite Bell’s familiarity with Green, however, the Warriors’ rookie forward already learned something unexpected. Green quickly introduced Bell to an offseason regimen he did not anticipate doing.
“He got me into doing Soul Cycle,” Bell said. “It’s something different for conditioning instead of just me just running and conditioning. It’s a more fun way to do it.”
And it’s become a fun way for Bell to accomplish two things entering his rookie season as a Warriors’ reserve forward.
One, Bell has bonded closer with Green when he has been in the Bay Area in between trips to Spain, Miami and Los Angeles.
“He wants to learn and wants to work,” Green said. “When a guy wants to learn and wants to work, very rarely do they fail. I’m excited to spend even more time around him.”
Two, it has further helped Bell’s quest toward eventually mirroring Green’s game.
“I could see myself playing similar to him and helping my team out if he gets into foul trouble or gets a technical,” Bell said. “I can come in. Hopefully with me watching him in practice, I can start to emulate what he does.”
Bell does not want to emulate everything that Green does. Green ranked second in the NBA overall last season in technical fouls (15), trailing only DeMarcus Cousins (18). Bell insisted he has a much more laid-back personality, and, therefore, will not draw as many whistles against him.
“I got like two techs in college and one in high school,” Bell said, smiling.
Still, Bell and Green could mirror each other in other ways.
Green won last season’s NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award after landing on the league’s All-Defensive first team in the previous two years (2015, 2016). Bell won the 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award as a junior, while also landing in the conference’s All-Defense team as a junior (2016-17) and freshman (2014-15).
Last season, Green became the first Warriors player to record at least 150 steals and 100 blocks in a single season, while also posting a career-high and league-leading 2.03 steals per game. Last season, Bell finished his three years at Oregon as the program’s best in blocks (235) and field-goal percentage (61 percent).
“He’ll fit in well,” Green predicted of Bell. “One thing that will be big with him is floor spacing and knowing where to be on the floor. He has some things that you can’t teach.”
That includes Bell’s mindset on what he wants to accomplish his rookie season.
“I want to set my goals high,” Bell said. “But I don’t ever come in with statistical goals and to score a certain amount of points or get certain amount of rebounds. I just play hard every game.”
So does Green, who has made Bell feel empowered both with his support and feedback.
“It was really cool with him reaching out to me like that,” Bell said, “and him taking me under his wing.”
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