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This is not the first time I have banged the drum for reigning Euroleague MVP Nemanja Bjelica. This past weekend, he was one of the players featured in my “Weekend Category Streamers” piece, which you can check out here.
Bjelica has provided those savvy fantasy owners who were smart and lucky enough to get in on him early with tremendous rewards in the early going. Not only has he provided strong rebounding numbers (8 rpg), but he has shown off a complete game, capable of stuffing the stat sheet when given the minutes. The 27-year-old Serbian rookie exploded this past weekend against a strong Bulls frontcourt, where at times, he offered the versatility of an All Star caliber player. Bjelica scored 17 points on 56% shooting to go along with with 11 rebounds, five assists, two 3PM, and a block and steal each. If that’s not enough, Bjelica shot 83% from the charity stripe for good measure.
If those numbers don’t have you running to your waiver wire, perhaps this number will: 40 minutes. Sure, the Timberwolves went into OT in the game, but Bjelica’s minutes were rising steadily in the 25:00-30:00 minute range before his big Saturday night. His ability and feel for the game has clearly won the trust of the Timberwolves coaching staff, who will continue to play him starter minutes off the bench as the clear backup to Kevin Garnett (who has only played over 20 minutes once thus far).
Bottom Line: If you took my advice and picked him up for Saturday night, you are welcome. If not, consider this your final warning and take a flier on Bjelica, who is not your typical rookie with a steep learning curve. His versatile game has impressed earlier than most anticipated, proving that he can bang on the glass and stretch the floor from beyond the arc; the most desired traits for the modern day power forward. His talent and playing time make him an ideal target for your bench, capable of contributing in multiple categories.
By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.
