Vlade Divac’s signing of Nemanja Bjelica shows Kings can have some free-agent success
It seems almost every year that the Kings look back at free agency and wish they had done something differently. Just last week the Kings sent their marquee free agent signing of the summer, Dewayne Dedmon, packing to Atlanta after just 34 disappointing games.
But despite the duds, sometimes the Kings find a diamond in the rough like Nemanja Bjelica.
Signing Bjelica is one of the brightest feathers in Vlade Divac’s cap. Bjelica was all set to return to Europe after reneging on a verbal contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer of 2018 until Divac came calling. Bjelica changed his mind and signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Kings and has since become one of the most potent floor spacers in the league.
Bjelica’s first year in Sacramento wasn’t overly spectacular but he managed to put up 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in just 23 minutes a game as a starter, a stark improvement from his time in Minnesota. Bjelica provided a steadying presence in the starting lineup and was a big reason the Kings got off to a great start to the 2017-18 season and finished with 39 wins.
Despite the team’s struggles as a whole this year, Bjelica has become even more prolific, taking on a bigger role due to Marvin Bagley’s injuries. Bjelica is averaging 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, all career-highs all while shooting an absolutely absurd 45 percent from three on almost five attempts a game. Last season, Bjelica made 103 three pointers in 77 games. He has already hit 107 this season with 30 games remaining. Only J.J. Redick is shooting a higher percentage from deep on at least four attempts a game this season.
Bjelica also tends to treat the 3-point line as more of a suggestion than anything else. According to NBA.com, 71.8% of Bjelica’s 3-point attempts come from 25 to 29 feet. By comparison, the NBA 3-point line is 22 feet in the corners and 23.75 feet at its longest. Bjelica is also 4-for-7 on threes from 30-plus feet out, including his marvelous game winner against the Houston Rockets on December 9.
The Kings tend to do well when Bjelica is hitting his shots too. Sacramento is 10-7 this season when Bjelica has hit at least three triples in a game, and three of those losses were decided by a single possession.
To call Bjelica just a shooter would be a disservice to the rest of his game. Bjelica is also a capable rebounder (he leads the Kings in total rebounds for the season, although that probably wouldn’t be the case if Richaun Holmes and Bagley were healthy) and a willing passer (fourth on the team in assists). He uses the threat of his shot to open up driving lanes for himself and others and tends not to make a lot of mistakes.
He’s not without his shortcomings especially on defense. Despite being second on the team in both blocks and steals, he tends to get beat or overpowered by bigger or quicker players. Hopefully Holmes will be able to return from his shoulder injury after the All-Star break, as he is an ideal frontcourt partner for Bjelica’s strengths and weaknesses.
Sacramento has never and will never be a free-agent destination for the likes of LeBron James or Kevin Durant, but if Divac can find a few more like Bjelica, that would go a long way to getting this franchise back on track.
Akis Yerocostas has been covering the Kings for over a decade. Follow him on Twitter @Aykis16.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 10:08 AM.