Nemanja Bjelica - Hype Thread

[Volans19]

http://www.canishoopus.com/2015/4/20/8452281/almost-everything-you-should-know-about-nemanja-bjelicaThe Story of Nemanja Bjelica

http://www.basketball-reference.com/euro/players/nemanja-bjelica-1.htmlBasketball Reference stats



[youtube]5lB8mb37E20[/youtube]



[youtube]PxOKAMy8rDM[/youtube]

[Volans19]

Now that I posted this he will almost certainly be traded

[Carlos Danger]

I'll be honest...I don't see him playing here next year (or possibly ever). We're going to be crowded with bigs next year (KG, Payne, Top 4 pick + maybe Bennett). I don't see where there could be room for another unproven guy that plays the same position as other guys Flip acquired. I'd be in favor of trading him for a future pick if another team would want him. He'll be 27 next year...so, I think he's probably at peak value right now.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

He's arguably a top 5 player in Europe and this has been his best season. He has helped his team reach the Final Four of the Euroleague, which happens in May.

I have mixed feelings about him. Here are some pros and cons:

Pros:
-Major upgrade at PF - He'd instantly be the best PF on our roster (excluding KG, who is only a part-timer anyway). But saying he'd be better than Payne or Bennett is faint praise.
Jack of all trades - He has a great handle for a big man, he can pass, he can shoot it from beyond the arc (although not lights-out), he can get in the passing lane and make steals. Where he really made big strides the past couple of years is rebounding, as he is no longer the skinny kid he was when we first drafted him, as you can see from the video above.
Seasoned professional - He has played in the highest levels of European ball for years now. You typically don't get playing time over there if you lack b-ball IQ. After an adjustment period of a few months, he should hit his stride and be a solid contributor in the NBA. We've seen other guys like Rubio, Mirotic, Splitter, and Pekovic successfully make the transition to the NBA after fairly successful careers in Europe. These guys know how to play.

Cons:
Defensive question marks - He's pretty long and has put on weight over the past couple of years, but I still don't know how he'd handle NBA PFs.
Jack of all trades, master of none - He is actually a pretty elite rebounder in Euroleague this season (11+ per 36), but I'm not sure how much of that we can trust will translate to the NBA based on his historical rebounding numbers, which aren't as lofty. Otherwise, there really isn't one thing that stands out in his game. He seems like the kind of guy that would put up 12, 7, and 2 in about 30 MPG, with good decision making and solid fundamentals. That's not awe-inspiring, but it may be enough if we have two or three other stars on the roster.
Contract - He's going to cost us around $5M per year for 3 years. If things don't go well, that's precious $ tied up in a guy that is already going to be 27 years old next season.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Bennett and Payne should have zero impact on what you think of Bjelica, considering they're both garbage and might not be with us that much longer.

[KiwiMatt]

Bennett and Payne should have zero impact on what you think of Bjelica, considering they're both garbage and might not be with us that much longer.

Cam I really hope at least one those two can figure it out. Not so much as to benefit this team, but just so we can all tell you 'told you so'.

:thumb:

[bleedspeed]

Thinking of this makes the Payne trade even that much worse. I want Bjelica here next year and us to make ever attempt to bring him over.

[TRKO [enjin:12664595]]

Bennett and Payne should have zero impact on what you think of Bjelica, considering they're both garbage and might not be with us that much longer.

Couldn't agree more. Those guys are house money, if you get anything out of them, great. Cannot bank on anything from those two.

[bleedspeed]

I would be more supportive of Flip is he cut dumped Payne for nothing to bring over Bjelica and say he gambled and lost then try and double down having him keep a roster sport next year. I wouldn't extend Bennett, but I would give him another year and hope he is not injured and shows something.

[Coolbreeze44]

The negativity on Payne is off the hook. Pretend we drafted him in the 2nd round. At least then you could be more objective about him.

How about Ersan Ilyasova as a comp for Bjelica?