Atlanta Hawks Draft Profile: Jordan Bell
By Bean
Jordan Bell is one of the many prospects that the Hawks have worked out during the predraft process.
The Hawks will most likely target a big man with either the 19th or 31st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. With an aging center in Dwight Howard and no reliable backup options it makes sense that the team would pursue a younger big man in this draft.
Jordan Bell is one player who is projected be available for the Hawks. He is an intriguing prospect and a potentially great fit to the team.
Bell is an athletic freak. He was a defensive stalwart for the Oregon Ducks over his 3-year career with the program. He also was a solid rebounder for his team, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game last year. Being on such a talented team he was asked to do the dirty work and he accepted that role and excelled.
As Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey racked up the points, Bell was the glue of his team coming up with clutch hustle and defensive plays throughout the Ducks 2017 NCAA tournament run.
He performs a similar sort of role asked of DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers and Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Asked to do the dirty work doen low and mostly stay aside on offense minus the occasional lob or rim run.
The Hawks could really use this sort of player off the bench, as Mike Muscala and Kris Humphries have been inadequate as backups over the past two years.
Bell’s motor is the most valuable asset he has, as he flies around the court with major dexterity. He posted the fastest shuttle time in NBA Draft combine history at 2.56 seconds.
His measurements also compare similarly to Tristan Thompson, and while he isn’t the lengthiest big man in the draft he makes up for it with his extraordinary effort level along with his impeccable ability to time the shots of an opposing player.
The big man is also a legit threat in transition, averaging 1.46 points per game in transition according to Draft Express. He is always running the floor, and with the right teammates he can be a major lob threat in transition. His lob-catching ability is also evident in the pick and roll, a play that is ran with Dwight Howard often times.
However, Bell is far from perfect on offense as he is not a necessarily good post scorer. That being said he has improved over time, upping his points per game every year in college. He doesn’t necessarily have to even be a great post player, but he must be able to eventually have the ability to finish easy post-ups if he has good position.
Jordan Bell has been projected in the late 1st to early 2nd in many mock drafts. The Hawks will most likely have two chances to pounce on him. Bell himself also believes that he is on Atlanta’s radar.
Bell thinks he can go anywhere from 18 to 31. Said he thinks he's on radar of Indy and ATL. Made clear he would love if Blazers pick him.
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) June 19, 2017
This is very eye opening as not all prospects explicitly name what teams they believe might draft them. Bell would be a potentially great addition to the Hawks, and it will be interesting to see if the organization decides to select him with either one of their first two picks.