Summer League in its entirety should be viewed with a grain of salt, but Jordan Bell had an outing that not many pros have done. 

Whether the Golden State Warriors are lucky or not lies in how much you want to believe it. Stephen Curry has evolved into a megastar; Draymond Green is one of the most versatile forwards ever; Kevin Durant is, well, Kevin Durant. On top of that, they signed Nick Young for almost nothing, and JaVale McGee was huge them last year. The only thing their missing is a steal in the draft. And Jordan Bell might be that.

The former Oregon Duck slipped to 38th in the NBA Draft before being traded by the Chicago Bulls. Golden State got him for cash. Light years, I tell you. Light years!

On Tuesday night, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year had a game to remember, but it’s just Summer League, right? Wrong. I don’t care what league it is, church league, YMCA league, e-league, recording a 5×5 game is spectacular. He finished with 11 rebounds, six blocks, five points, five steals and five assists.

Since 1984, only nine players have ever registered a five-by-five game: Hakeem Olajuwon, Andrei Kirilenko, Draymond Green, Nicolas Batum, Marcus Camby, Derrick Coleman, Vlade Divac, David Robinson and Jamaal Tinsley.

After the game, the Warriors rookie showed some love to his future teammate. Green had a five-by-five game back in 2015, and he missed out on a second one after he scored just four points against the Memphis Grizzlies this past April.

The odds of Bell turning into Draymond aren’t likely. But it’s possible. However, I will only entertain that argument after he’s played 100 NBA games. Despite my reluctance to have this debate, Bell looked incredible.

His timing on the defensive end was phenomenal, and his positioning was just as stellar. In Bell’s 32 minutes, he picked up just three personals and being able to protect the rim without fouling is always eye-catching.

Also Read: Jordan Bell Was Huge During Ducks’ Postseason Run

Bell’s best chance at turning into Green is to be his shadow. He needs to absorb all of the knowledge that Draymond has. Bell showed the ability to alter games in a big way in college, and that’s a skill that can translate to the NBA. The playmaking side of him may never develop. And that’s okay. If Golden State is going to give him minutes, they won’t expect him to score or assist. That’s not who he is.

They’ll want him to bring the energy on defensive and provide even further versatility. And there are few questioning about Bell on that end.

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