Bjelica Shining in New Role with Warriors

Shooters around the NBA are struggling. The average 3-point shot percentage is one of the lowest it’s ever been, at 34.2%. Players like Steph Curry, Dame Lillard, Trae Young, and James Harden are all seeing lowered percentages even as great of shooters as they are. One guy who isn’t seeing a dip in his numbers - instead seeing a massive spike - is Nemanja Bjelica.

The 33-year old former Euro League MVP is shooting a scorching 57.9% from downtown, doing so on 1.1 attempts per game. Over his last 5 games, he is attempting 3 threes per game and making 2, good for 66.7%. Bjelica is torching the nets and has the hot hand to tie as the league-leader with Pelicans big man Jonas Valanciunas in 3-point percentage.

His ability to stretch the floor has been a major key to unlocking the Warriors offense, opening up driving lanes for guys like Steph Curry and Jordan Poole to collapse the defense and get their guys some easy looks on the outside. He’s a dangerous shooter and has a well-timed wind-up for his shoot to where he can get off a good look if he has the space, or simply pump-fake and drive by a defender that’s closing out. The deep three and the fake-and-go have become somewhat of signature moves for Bjelica this season: It’s almost like he’s pulling his post game and taking it to the three-point arc, similar to something that people have attributed Steph doing with the mid-range.

Bjelica has been a key role player for the Warriors this year, giving them some interior size while still stretching the floor in about 15 minutes a game. He has the second-highest plus-minus in the league right now at +105, trailing only Curry (+123) through the first ten games. While the sample size isn’t as extensive as it is for other players in more significant roles, Bjelica’s instinct for the game is incredibly high. The fact that the Warriors got him on a minimum contract towards the end of free agency could almost be criminal considering how well he’s been playing for them.

Bjelica’s shooting aptitude adds a lot of context to how Steph Curry has been able to play so well when he’s on the floor. He’s one of the players who makes it impossible to double Curry off of especially a pick-and-roll. He sets the screen, and can either flare out to the wing or dive to the hoop for a dump-off and possibly a kick-out himself. His defender can’t leave Bjelica on the arc because of how well he shoots it, leaving the handler in the PnR room to operate 1 on 1. He’s an excellent passer and has high game IQ as well, meaning if he gets the ball in a 3v4, he knows what to do with it.

Bjelica’s play is one of the most underrated aspects of the Warriors’ success. He’s the perfect big for their system to complement Draymond Green, something the Warriors have never really had before. When you see how well he controls the game and plays at his own pace, it’s easy to see why he was the MVP of the world’s 2nd most competitive basketball league, right behind the NBA.

(Photo credit: Jevone Moore / Getty Images)