Nemanja Bjelica's transfer grade: remarkable signing that makes sense / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Rocky Widner/GettyImages/BasketNews illustration Credit Rocky Widner/GettyImages/BasketNews illustration

For most of the time in the recent past, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul were in the headlines for saying goodbye to its precious players leaving for the NBA.

Free throws this season

74%11,5Points made:11,5Accuracy:74,2%Place in standings:12Record max:21Record min:4Most made FTs:Nando De ColoTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Well, times have changed. After reaching the NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, Nemanja Bjelica is making his return to Europe to complete the missing gap in his CV: the Euroleague trophy.

On this occasion, BasketNews evaluates this transfer by giving a grade from A (being the best) to F (the worst) and discussing whether it's a good addition or not.

A much needed experience

This looks like a very good addition. At the age of 34, Nemanja Bjelica might seem to be a substandard purchase for a club that targets to return to the top of Europe again as soon as possible. He might not offer long-term gain, but sometimes, you need experience and class to attain your short-term goals.

Pero Antic was such an example when Fenerbahce finally became the EuroLeague champions in 2017. Antic was 35 back then, but his leadership and valuable contribution from the bench were very impactful.

There were some dubious points raised against his mobility and athleticism. For that matter, those were never Bjelica's prime features.

"Positionless basketball" was not a term that became common in the mainstream 6-7 years ago, even for his time.

Bjelica was considered a bit stationary shooter and of limited use other than some pick-and-pop situations. But with the decisions and basketball IQ, Bjelica had always carried that potential to be a game-changer.

NBA demands were surely different and did not always challenge him in the ways that could trigger his ambition at Timberwolves and the Kings. In order to make the most out of him, he needs to be challenged and locked in for a clear-cut goal.

Nemanja Bjelica

Team:Golden State WarriorsPosition:PFAge:34Height:209 cmWeight:106 kgBirth place:Belgrade, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

Last season, the Warriors actually did this. Let alone his ability to read the plays and function as a distributor or floor spacer, his superior game IQ helped the Warriors to turn the fate of the series against the Boston Celtics.

The Serbian was one of the "Tatum stoppers" in games 2 and 4, very instrumental for the GSW to match with the defensive intensity of their opponents.

How did he do this, you can check here.

Ability to offer something different

Considering the roster on positional matters, Bjelica offers something different than the Tonye Jekiri-Johnathan Motley-Devin Booker-Samet Geyik quartet.

Bjelica won't have the athleticism, hard-rim rolling, or aggressive defense, but his positioning and outside shooting is something that Fenerbahce missed last season. If we consider that Achille Polonara is reportedly close to Anadolu Efes, Bjelica's role will be highly crucial.

Dimitris Itoudis is fond of 4-1 setups as Johannes Voigtmann was previously playing as the shooting big at CSKA. He can implement something similar with Booker and Bjelica on the floor.

He is also fond of playing with smart and proven track record players to thrive them as Daniel Hackett made a remarkable comeback in his career under his watch.

If we also consider that Fenerbahce fans have a special connection with Bjelica as one of the players recalling the memories of a glorious term, he also checks all boxes.

Overall Grade: A-

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Position Player Status PG Scottie Wilbekin (story) Signed until 2025 PG Ismet Akpinar(story) Signed until 2023 SG Melih Mahmutoglu(story) Signed until 2024 SG Sehmus Hazer Signed until 2024 SF Marko Guduric Signeduntil 2023 SF Dyshawn Pierre Signeduntil 2023 +1 SF/PF Metecan Birsen Signed until 2023 + 1 PF Achille Polonara Signed until 2023 +1 PF/C Samet Geyik(story) Signed until 2023 C Devin Booker Signeduntil 2023 C Johnathan Motley(story) Signed until 2024 C Tonye Jekiri (story) Signed until 2023 +1 Coach Dimitris Itoudis(story) Expired contract Aleksandar Djordjevic (will not return), Pierria Henry (will not return), Nando De Colo (will not return), Tarik Biberovic, Danilo Barthel (will not return), Jan Vesely (will not return), Ahmet Duverioglu (will not return), Jehyve Floyd (will not return), Markel Starks (will not return) Rumored to leave Interested Nick Calathes (story), Nikola Milutinov, Nemanja Bjelica (story), Iffe Lundberg (story) Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.