Jordan Bell – Unconventional Superstar

    There’s little doubt, when it comes to the traditional view of a basketball stat-sheet, the first category most gravitate to is Points per game. Makes sense, given the team with the most points scored, Wins. Most Coaches and scouts however, are quick to point out success in other statistical categories feeds into success in Points Scored and limiting Points Allowed. Long Beach Poly’s Jordan Bell need only look to the Kentucky Wildcats Anthony Davis for the value Rebounding, interior Defense, and the 14.2 pts a game the future NBA lottery-pick put up during his Player of the Year campaign, as to the potential impact his skill-set can bring to bear. Bell’s progression (table below) from Sophomore to Junior, and continuing through the Junior campaign, was significant and may be just a small window to what’s on the horizon.

Jordan Bell		PTS	REB	BLKS	ASST	STEALS	FG%	FT%
Soph.	10-’11	2.8	3.8	1.1	0	0.4	.500	.310
Junior	11-’12	8.4	8.8	4.7	2.2	1.5	.561	.397

 

    Jordan’s offensive game is similar to that of many athletic and defensive-minded big men. Bell lives on put-backs, transition dunks, and the occasional short jumper. The jump in FG% (.500 to .561) is encouraging, and Bell looked much more fluid with the ball in his hands during his Junior campaign. If he can develop, and become comfortable with, 1-2 go to moves, and build consistency out to the 10-12 foot range, he will be an extremely productive two-way player. He accomplishes the previous, gets his FT% to a livable 60-65%, and keeps the Turnovers to a minimum (approx 2 per game in ’11-’12) there may not be a more dynamic 3/4 player on the West Coast. Safe to assume Long Beach Poly’s offense will continue through Roschon Prince (21.7ppg), but establishing himself as a more viable second option will propel Bell’s stock and create a lethal 1-2 combination for the Jackrabbits.

    On the defensive side, Bell is nothing short of a force. As a Junior he displayed superb timing when it came to blocking opponents shots and snaring defensive boards. As with most young shot-blockers Bell tends towards the huge swat as opposed to the more consistent and controllable redirection. The most effective shot-blockers (Olajuwan, Abdul-Jabbar) not only swatted shots, they also managed to control the block over to a teammate or were able to gather themselves. Although a huge crowd-pleaser, a swat into the stands only serves to give the ball right back to the opponent. If Bell gets to 6’9-6’10 and refines his technique, he will soon make SoCal bball enthusiasts forget the name Angelo Chol. Jordan managed, for the most part (2 DQ’s in 33 games), to stay out of Foul trouble despite his imposing defensive style. This speaks to a controlled aggression and bodes well for continued development.

    No doubt there is room to polish and refine the offensive game. There’s also opportunity to shore up the technique side of Rebounding (boxing out, playing angles). Jordan Bell puts in the work, and by all accounts he’s the type to do so, there’s little doubt in my mind his game continues on the upswing and that’s nothing opponents want any part of. Jordan’s one of the rare High School Juniors who may already have the physicality necessary for the college game, but another 10-15lbs in muscle should only help. If, at 6’7, he’s maxed out his height, his work on the offensive leads to a reliable 10-12 foot jumper, and he takes his FT% north of 60, Bell projects as a solid contributor at the mid-high major level. If however, he grows to 6’9 or so, takes that same jumper out to the 12-15 foot range, and the FT rate trends closer towards 70%, there’s scary upside here. Anthony Davis was the clear leader of his Kentucky squad, and despite scoring just (6) points, AD was the clear-cut Championship Game MVP. Too early to entertain such lofty comparisons, but Jordan Bell does impact a game in a similar fashion. Serious work, solid coaching, and continued health, and Jordan Bell could be a future, albeit unconventional, superstar.