Nemanja Bjelica, Sacramento Kings
Just 20 games into his Sacramento Kings career, Nemanja Bjelica has already been at the center of a pair of surprising controversies.
Early in the offseason, it was reported that he had agreed in principle to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. He backed out of that deal with intentions to play in Europe, only to sign with the Kings on a three-year, $20.5 million contract.
Once in Sacramento, things only got even more confusing. Despite having his team in the playoff hunt a quarter of the way through the season, coach Dave Joerger was reportedly on the hot seat for his tendency to play veterans over younger prospects. The biggest issue for the front office was his decision to play the likes of Bjelica over 2018 number three pick Marvin Bagley.
Among all of this confusion, as well as Sacramento’s surprising hot start and the growth of youngsters De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, it’s easy to ignore how great Bjelica has been. He’s started every game for the Kings and been the floor-spacer their guards desperately needed.
He’s shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 50.7 percent from 3, and while those numbers aren’t sustainable, the sample size is now big enough to assume he won’t drop off precipitously.
While Bjelica’s shooting is his calling card, it’s his all-around versatility that has been a pleasant surprise. According to Basketball Reference, there are just 23 players averaging at least 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal per game this season. Of those players, Bjelica has the third-best true shooting percentage (65.5), trailing only Stephen Curry and Pascal Siakam.
After the Kings drafted Bagley and retained fellow young bigs Harry Giles, Willie Cauley-Stein and Skal Labissiere, the addition of Bjelica seemed odd. But if the Kings plan on continuing to push for the playoffs this season, he could prove to be one of the most shrewd signings in the league.