Opening night sure was a fun one, with the Golden State Warriors mostly laying dormant until the second half when a mini-explosion led to them overcoming a double-digit deficit and kicking the season off with a win against the Los Angeles Lakers. The surprising player who was behind much of their success? Nemanja Bjelica.
While the likes of Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole struggle through portions of this game, Bjelica was a sturdy presence who made use of every minute he played. His impact was immense despite never really stealing the show at any point.
Nemanja Bjelica embodied the Golden State Warriors’ strength in numbers motto by being the unsung hero on NBA opening night.
Bjelica finished with an impressive 15 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench. He made 6-of-7 shots and only turned the ball over once. In his 25 minutes on the floor, Bjelica was a team-high +20.
The Warriors made their comeback due to rapid ball movement and high-IQ decision-making. All of these qualities made Bjelica one of the centerpieces in the second half. He is a lumbering big man who can take opponents by surprise with his ability to dribble the ball and make crafty passes.
It was Bjelica who penetrated the defense and used a nifty ball-fake to free up Andrew Wiggins for the late-game dagger. And, it was Bjelica who often made the extra pass to generate open looks for his teammates.
The expectations were not high for Bjelica entering the season as he failed to be much of a rotation player for his previous two teams but he might have just found a home in Golden State. I would not predict the veteran performs like this every single night but he gave us a clear indication of how useful he can be for the Dubs during a long season.