The Golden State Warriors have been a deep and talented team in year’s past and that’s why they have made the NBA Finals five seasons in a row and own three titles. Due to these circumstances, it can be hard for a young guy to break into the rotation and become successful and sometimes greener pastures are elsewhere.
That was the case for young Jordan Bell who after two seasons in Golden State decided to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bell only played in 125 games with the Warriors and averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds. He recently opened up on why he ultimately decided to leave for Minnesota.
“An opportunity just to play,” Bell said in a phone interview with Bay Area News Group. “Money wasn’t really the issue.”
Bell averaged 10.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in his final college season in Oregon and wants to prove he can get to those numbers in the NBA.
He also aims to bring all of the experience he gathered in Golden State and bring that to Minnesota.
“I don’t want to set out goals. You end up focusing on the wrong things isntead of just playing basketball. My thing is to show everybody what player I can be. I’ll take what I learned from Golden State,” Bell said. “I can bring a championship mentality and I know the stuff you go through with the ups and
downs of a long season like that. I take what I learned from that team and try to share that experience.”
He will have an opportunity to be a veteran presence on a Timberwolves team that has been to the postseason just once in the past 15 years.
While they ost Bell, the Warriors were able to retain Kevon Looney as well as sign Willie Cauley-Stein — so the team will still have some depth at the big man position.
