Bjelica was the Euroleague MVP just a year ago, and came over to the U.S. as an experienced, 27 year-old rookie. He was expected to contribute immediately, which is exactly what he did.
Over the first ten games of Bjelica’s NBA career, he averaged 8.4 points in 28.4 minutes per contest while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. He also grabbed 6.2 rebounds and dished out 2.5 assists per game.
But then came an 0-for-7 performance in Miami, including five misses from beyond the arc. The next night, a foul-out performance in just 18 minutes of play in Orlando.