Nemanja Bjelica made quite the impact in his Warriors debut on Tuesday, putting up a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Golden State took down the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.
Bjelica was brought in this offseason on a veteran's minimum contract, but general manager Bob Myers says the Warriors tried to trade for the stretch forward before last season's deadline.
"We tried to trade for him a few times last year and just couldn't find the right deal for them and us, and then he got moved to Miami and never really got a foothold there," Myers said Thursday morning on 95.7 The Game. "We've always liked him because we thought he could fit what we do, which is what you guys see, it's a lot of read and react stuff, lot of randomness."
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Bjelica was in his third season with the Kings when he was traded on March 25 to the Miami Heat. The defending Eastern Conference champions hoped Bjelica could help spark another deep playoff run for Miami, but the Heat were swept by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
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The 33-year-old brings some much-needed range to the Warriors' frontcourt, but demonstrated his well-rounded skill set in the opening night win over the Lakers. Bjelica only ended up going 1-1 from behind the 3-point line, as he made several plays off the dribble and performed well in the paint against a solid LA frontcourt.
Expect Bjelica to see extensive action off the bench this season, especially if he continues to play as efficiently and effectively as he did Tuesday.
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