The Thunderous Intentions draft prospect series now shines the spotlight on Oregon’s Jordan Bell
Sam Presti has shown an interest in guys who are gifted with athletic ability and Oregon’s Jordan Bell fits the mold. The OKC Thunder has roster issues to address so they may not see Bell as the solution. However, Bell made a pretty good resume in his three years at Oregon, especially in his final season. Bell averaged 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game last season on his way to earning Pac-12 defensive player of the year honors.
Jordan Bell was the defensive anchor of an Oregon team that reached the Final Four before falling to the eventual champions, North Carolina. Bell will not dazzle with his offensive skillset but his high energy and athleticism will be something to look at for teams drafting late in the 1st round and early in the 2nd round.
Specifics
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 225
Wingspan: 7’1
Position: Power Forward
Age: 22 years and 5 months
Stats: 10.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals
Hometown: Long Beach, California
School: Oregon (Junior)
Current Rankings
Please note, rankings come from versions as of time of writing. However, not all mock drafts provide second round ranks or updates. Due to this if rankings change after posting it’s likely due to updates and a shift in the rankings.
Draft Express: 35th
NBA DraftNet: 29th
CBS Sports: 25th
Hoops Hype: 28th
Basketball Insiders: 32nd
The Ringer: 28th
Skills
Bell feeds off of his energy and his athletic ability. He has the ability to immediately come in the NBA and shine with his rebounding, shot blocking and energy on both ends of the floor. He improved on his rebounding each year at Oregon and notched double-digit rebounding games in each of Oregon’s NCAA Tournament games this past March.
Bell runs the floor with the best of them and is a major threat in transition. Defensively, Bell is an elite shot blocker and his athleticism allows him to defend multiple positions. He has a 7’1″ wingspan and also shows the ability to put the ball on the floor.
Weaknesses
Jordan Bell is not a guy that teams will look to run plays for to isolate him in the post; also he will not be a guy that is a threat on the perimeter. He shot a total of 16 three point shots in three seasons at Oregon, with 14 coming last season.
Moreover, he will struggle to defend the bigger forwards and centers in the NBA until he adds more weight. The skills that he lacks on the offensive end, he makes up for with his energy and effort. He will be able to develop a jump shot and a back to the basket game over his NBA career. Ultimately, Bell has the potential to have a long NBA career.
Pro Comparison
A solid comparison for Jordan Bell is Kenneth Faried. Faried and Bell are both gifted with athletic ability and high motors. They both are the first players down the floor on a break and love to catch lobs. Bell is taller than Faried but both are undersized and rely heavily on athleticism. Faried has been able to find a role due to his energy, effort and athletic ability similar to how Bell plays. They both don’t have offensive skill sets that are very appealing but they both will outwork the opposition.
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- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Honors and Awards
- Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, 2017
- All Pac-12 2nd Team, 2017
Fit
Russell Westbrook would love to play alongside a guy such as Jordan Bell. Westbrook would be able to feed Bell off of pick and rolls or just from Bell being in the right spots. Bell would bring defensive intensity to this Thunder roster and high energy on both ends of the floor.
The OKC Thunder will have the 21st selection in the 2017 draft and Bell will most likely still be available. That said, the Thunder will probably look to add more scoring and wing depth with their 1st round pick. But Bell is a guy that has the potential to find a role for many teams in the NBA.