Golden State Warriors: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

1. Jordan Bell

Jordan Bell was on his way to an All-Rookie team selection last year, until a sprained ankle kept him out for over a month. He never really got back to form. His field goal percentage dropped from 66.4 percent before the injury to 53.7 percent after returning, and his per minute scoring and rebounding production took a hit as well.

Heavily dependent on vertical athleticism, a return to full health alone should benefit Bell. But it’s the other elements of his game — his playmaking, his jumper, his confidence — that make him a breakout candidate.

Bell’s passing vision is reminiscent of a rookie Draymond Green. And while Green’s relative old age (as a four-year college player) and lack of other leverageable skills (such as a quick first step or a threatening pull-up jumper) seemed to cap his potential for improvement, he worked on his body and his craft, and went from a nice complementary ball mover to a legitimate lead facilitator.

Already maxed out physically, Bell is unlikely to replicate Green’s trajectory. However, if the jumper he showcased in NBA Summer League is real, teams will be unable to play him 100 percent for the drive or pass as they did last season.

This, along with increased comfortability with his teammates, within Steve Kerr’s offense and with the NBA in general, should remove a lot of the hesitance from Bell’s game. Given his skill-set, athletic prowess and the space he’ll have to work with playing alongside four All-Stars, an aggressive Bell might be a problem for the league.