Bjelica Close

[bleedspeed]

I look at him and see 3 bad moves. Payne trade, Selling the pick, and not firing the coach after last season.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

3 years/ 11.7 million
Flip got a steal!

Wow that is insane. All hail Flip again.

Agree, that is an incredible bargain if he turns into the type of utility PF we all hope he can become.

This is why it pays to use 2nd rounders on Euros that aren't ready to come over yet. They have a chance to continue to develop their game in Europe and then can be brought over when ready, yielding a discount compared to domestic free agent vets.

[60WinTim]

Of course, if you want to understand why the Euro League MVP could not garner a better contract, just look at the list of past Euro League MVPs...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euroleague_MVP (scroll down a couple pages... we have posted it before)

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Of course, if you want to understand why the Euro League MVP could not garner a better contract, just look at the list of past Euro League MVPs...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euroleague_MVP (scroll down a couple pages... we have posted it before)

Tim, I hear you, but there are other factors to be considered. Some of these guys simply don't have the physical profile or athleticism to compete as effectively in the NBA. JC Navarro seems like the classic case of a player that is probably one inch too short and a half-step too slow from being a top notch NBA SG. The skills are there though and he performed admirably in his one year with the Grizzlies.

Bjelica is a pretty damn good athlete with decent size to boot. I certainly think there will be an adjustment period, but I expect him to be a solid rotational player eventually.

[60WinTim]

Yeah, I am still opDougistic about the signing. But there are reasons he did not command a bigger contract at this time...

[mjs34]

Judging by FA, I am feeling pretty good about the contract numbers. He is definitely at a number where he can be easily moved if he doesn't seem to fit in with the current roster.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Good to know it's a relatively safe bet. You never know with these guys. Could become a key contributor. Could be big Shved. Without much money tied up, it's easy to feel better about it. Now I'm hoping for somebody more like Mirotic than Shved!

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

What I am really intrigued by is the possibility of a 5-out set, with Bjelica and Towns playing pick and roll/pick and pop, with Bjelica as the ball-handler. That poses quite the intriguing dilemma for the opposition if they are sporting a traditional 4/5 big man combo.

[Carlos Danger]

I'm still not a fan of Euros in general. But I'm happy Flip is gathering his assets and we'll finally get a look at this guy. I'm willing to give him 20+ games to show me something before I start a "Bjelica is a a huge disappointment" thread :-)

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I'm still not a fan of Euros in general. But I'm happy Flip is gathering his assets and we'll finally get a look at this guy. I'm willing to give him 20+ games to show me something before I start a "Bjelica is a a huge disappointment" thread :-)

Well, in his case it might be fair-(ish) to judge him at that point, seeing as he's 27 years old. The thing I will look for is the raw stuff like rebounding, playmaking/assists, and steals. Those things typically show up out of the gate with a guy that age and what you see is what you get. Individual defense and shooting efficiency probably need more time to evaluate.