Warriors preseason match to watch: Nemanja Bjelica vs. Otto Porter Jr.
A few seasons ago, Nemanja Bjelica signed a deal to play with the Philadelphia 76ers then opted to stay overseas. He’s since made his way back to the league, playing for the Kings and Heats in the past three seasons.
Bjelica stands 6-foot-10 and is primarily known for his sharpshooter, the same reason that Porter Jr. was signed. Bjelica is a career 38.7 percent three-point shooter which is good enough to make him elite from deep.
He isn’t much a scorer outside of his deep threat, averaging 6.5 points per game in just 16.1 minutes per game last season. He had 6 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 18 minutes in the preseason opener. He’ll be having to battle Porter Jr. for the minutes at the stretch five.
Porter Jr. is coming over from Chicago. Once a top prospect, Porter Jr. is now known for his shooting but has struggled with injuries over the past few seasons. That’s the major concern for the veteran forward.
He scored 19 points in 18 minutes against the Blazers. Porter has shot over 40 percent from deep throughout his career and is among a limited group that can say that. He’s expected to be used as a stretch five, being helped by his 6-foot-8 frame.