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The Golden State Warriors continue their campaign for another title. In the 2021 NBA free agency, they signed Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr., making it clear that they are looking to add shooters into the fold. They also signed Andre Iguodala who fortified their core.
It will be another interesting season as Klay Thompson will finally return after a two-year absence. Whether Thompson’s comeback and recent Warriors acquisitions go well or not is a matter of wait and see. For the sake of discussion, let’s note the Dubs offseason, especially their signings.
Nemanja Bjelica: B +
The Warriors have signed a minimum veteran contract with the Serb. According to reports, they’ve been eyeing the 6-foot-10 stretch since last season’s deadline, which already suggests Kerr has something special planned for him. In fact, Kerr compared Nemanja Bjelica to Mo Speights, despite being armed with a 3-point shot. Kerr will likely involve Bjelica in tons of pick-and-pop pieces with Draymond Green or even Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Bjelica shoots 38.7% from depths for her career. In his final year with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the first two seasons with the Sacramento Kings, he shot over 40 percent from depths. It’s unfortunate that it sort of fell off the radar last season, as it wasn’t used much by the Miami Heat. This season, Bjelica once again has a chance to be recognized.
Otto Porter Jr .: B
Porter is a 40.2% career shooter beyond the arc, which is just plain ridiculous. If it weren’t for the injuries that plagued him for most of his career, Porter would be in the discussion about the best 3-point assassins in the game. As a reminder, Porter was set to become a star after signing a massive four-year contract worth $ 106.5 million in 2017 with the Washington Wizards. As he worked on his game to meet those expectations (which the stats reveal was a tough journey), a slew of injuries proved to be major hurdles. These injuries continued to haunt him in his stint with the Bulls.
Perhaps this is the reason for Porter’s relatively low rating, despite being a sniper. Injury is part of the game. There’s no doubt Porter worked his tail to avoid injury. But there are just a few players who are really injury prone. We have to wait and see what Porter’s role will be on the Warriors. If he comes off the bench, maybe that will prevent him from injuring himself.
André Iguodala: One
It was Andre Iguodala’s signing that got Warriors fans excited. After all, it marked the return of the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, one of the smartest players in the game. That’s a good thing at this point in the Dubs rebuilding process.
Iguodala will join the Warriors core of Curry, Green and Thompson. They will be the team leaders and serve as an extension of Kerr. The only reason we can’t give the signing a perfect score is Iguodala’s age.
In his two seasons with the Heat, Iguodala has shown he can still play around 20 minutes per game. However, he will be 38 in January and age is and always will be a critical factor in the sport. Arguably, Iguodala will likely play the role of a veteran presence, which is great. However, someone who can do it and at the same time play a few important minutes is taller.
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