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On Tuesday night, former Duck Jordan Bell made his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors, scoring eight points in a nail-biting 122-121 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Bell played 12 minutes off the bench, and also had a rebound and an assist in his debut. While he looked good on the offensive side of the ball, defensively, he definitely looked like a rookie.
In a “Welcome to the NBA” moment during the first quarter, Bell had to guard one of the best players in the league, James Harden, who drove to the rim with a spin move and a layup that Bell couldn't defend.
Rookie mistake... pic.twitter.com/CCAdbTHtGx
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 18, 2017
I’m not too concerned about this, as some growing pains are to be expected as Bell transitions to the NBA. He looked great in the preseason, and I think we’ll see the Jordan Bell we all know and love in no time.
His most exciting basket came late in the third quarter, connecting on an alley-oop from Draymond Green.
Get up, rook pic.twitter.com/XkQh1ltydR
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 18, 2017
Speaking of the Green/Bell connection, a couple of days ago, Green said that he almost lost his starting job to the Oregon rookie.
Draymond Green on Jordan Bell: "I had to make sure I was ready for opening night. He was about to take my spot."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 16, 2017
And in a further plot twist, Green exited last night’s game with a strained knee, so we’ll see if Steve Kerr puts Bell into the starting lineup when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.