Sign or decline with 6 Golden State Warriors’ FA’s
By Tony Pesta
Decline – Nemanja Bejlica
Nemanja Bjelica was expected to be the stretch-four the Golden State Warriors needed in the frontcourt. The reality was slightly disappointing.
Benefits
Bjelica was far from a dud. He played 71 games, appeared in 15 playoff games and shot above 35% from deep in both the regular and postseason. He was their best frontcourt shooter and helped add some scoring to the second unit at 6.1 points per game.
His 4.1 rebounds per game were enough to help the Dubs overcome a lack of size and his overall health and availability proved useful throughout a long season.
Perhaps most of all, Bjelica is a talented passer for his position. He dished 2.2 assists and was the perfect backup big to pair with the Splash Brothers.
Concerns
On the other hand, Bjelica was a very limited defender. Slow footed and lacking verticality made it difficult for Bjelica to be more of a mainstay in the Dubs’ rotation.
He’s getting older, too. At 33 years of age and dwindling production, the Dubs should not worry too much about retaining Bjelica this summer unless it’s another veteran minimum deal.