It looked like an immediate steal when the Golden State Warriors traded $3.5 million in cash to the Bulls for Oregon forward Jordan Bell on draft night. That prediction came to fruition as Bell provided key minutes for the depleted Warriors during the 2018 playoffs.
With Andre Iguodala missing much of the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals with a knee injury, Bell stepped up. For the postseason, he averaged 10.2 minutes per game. He wasn't a major offensive threat (he averaged only 2.4 points per game), but he provided solid defense, set important screens for Golden State's shooters, and chipped in 2.8 rebounds per game.
After the series, people questioned Bell's contribution and claimed he basically got a ring for doing nothing. He responded to his critics Monday, clapping back at his haters with an Instagram video. Bell posted quotes from his detractors and sang along to Flipp Dinero's "Leave Me Alone."
Jordan Bell has no issues with all the hate. (via @1jordanbell) pic.twitter.com/sOO8e3Pztf
The rookie is clearly loving life as an NBA champ.
In his first season in the league, the second-round pick averaged 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He racked up a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 18.0, good for third among rookies.
