Chicago Bulls get trolled by Golden State's Bell during blowout
A brutal Thanksgiving road trip for the Bulls ended not with a thud, but the sound of cash registers.
While the Golden State Warriors rolled up a 143-94 victory late Friday night, rookie Jordan Bell decided to emphasize his brush with the Bulls on draft night.
Most fans don't need to be reminded the Bulls sold their second-round draft pick, No. 38 overall, to Golden State for $3.5 million. The Warriors then selected Bell, a power forward from Oregon.
It's not clear if coach Steve Kerr was trolling his old team when he decided to give Bell his first career start against the Bulls, since Kevin Durant (ankle) and Draymond Green (rest) both skipped the game.
But Bell clearly had the Bulls on his mind when he made the “money” signal with his hands during pregame introductions. Bell did it again late in the fourth quarter after a basket and a foul, and could be seen mouthing the words, “three point five.”
“I wanted to see how cash considerations was doing over there,” Bell joked after the game.
Bell had a nice game, as well, finishing with 7 points, 6 blocks, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. He had a nice block of Bulls center Robin Lopez in the first quarter, then chased down Denzel Valentine in the fourth to swat a fast-break attempt.
According to the East Bay Times, Bell is the first NBA player to record 6 blocks in his initial start since DeAndre Jordan in 2009.
“At first, I was thinking of all types of things to troll the other team, like doing (the money gesture) and '3.5,'” Bell told reporters at Oracle Arena. “But as we got closer to the game, I was just mainly focused on the basketball game and trying to win it. Then when I saw we won the game, I started to troll a little bit.”
Trading draft picks for cash is a common practice in the NBA. Bulls vice president John Paxson mentioned on draft night he wasn't sure if there was room on the roster for another player.
Chances are, Bell wouldn't have made much of a difference if he was on the Bulls. But as long as things are going badly, he's a convenient source for criticism.
A greater concern right now for the Bulls is staying focused after losing consecutive games by a combined 79 points. Rookie Lauri Markkanen was the team's leading scorer on the road trip, but shot just 31 percent from the field. Justin Holiday was even worse, shooting 26.5 percent during the four road losses.
Zach LaVine, who is recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, was cleared to begin full practice last week when the Bulls were in Los Angeles. He'll likely continue to practice for a few weeks before returning to game action, so the Bulls will have to find another way to stay competitive.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Miami Heat at the United Center, 2:30 p.m. Sunday
TV: WGN
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: Miami (9-9) is off to a mundane start, but in the last two games, the Heat snapped Boston's 16-game win streak, then won on the road at Minnesota. Guards Goran Dragic (18.9 ppg) and Dion Waiters (15.9) are the top scorers, while C Hassan Whiteside is averaging 15.5 points and 12.9 rebounds. Backup SG Wayne Ellington has scored 21 points in two of the last three games. The Bulls are reeling, obviously, losing the last two games of a winless four-game road trip by a combined 79 points. The Bulls went 2-1 against Miami last season.
Next: Phoenix Suns at the United Center on Tuesday, 7 p.m.
— Mike McGraw