NBA
Nemanja Bjelica Finding New Home Out East
Now with Ersan Ilyasova gone to the Bucks, the 76ers had an open vacancy for an important role on the roster. In steps former Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Nemanja “Professor Big shot” Bjelica, a stretch-four/combo small forward. Bjelica went the cautious route though and agreed to a one-year, $4.4 million contract with the 76ers.
Bjelica spent last season clawing to get minutes off the bench, but with a Tom Thibodeau offense built heavily on large minutes for starters, it proved to be difficult for him to get in the game. He put up pretty modest numbers last season, averaging 6.8 points, four rebounds, one assist per game. He also averaged 20 minutes per game last season. He does have a very solid 3-point shot at a rate of 41% and making at least one 3 point shot a game last season. He fits the perfect mold that Ilyasova left behind. He’s a 3 point threat to back up Dario Saric at the power forward position, or play small forward in a big lineup.
Hopefully a change of scenery will bring life to his career and his game. Bjelica showed slight frustration last season when he didn’t get the minutes that he thought he deserved. Out of the 67 games he played last year, which was a career high, he started 21 of them in place of injured Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler at the time.
How does Bjelica impact the Sixers?
The biggest thing that Sixers fans should worry about regarding Bjelica is that he has never played more than 67 games in a season. He also he will be 31 years of age next season. Bjelica has had a tendency to pass up the open 3-point shot, despite shooting a career high from 3-point range. That may have had to deal with nerves from coach Thibadeau barking up and down the court. Bjelica doesn’t have much athleticism, but he makes up for it with a very high basketball IQ. He can pull a flashy pass on occasion as well.
Overall this is a very quiet, but solid move for the 76ers. They already have their stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in place. Now they need to add the pieces around them to push them into a real contender in the east.
