How Did Nemanja Bjelica Do In His First Year With The Sacramento Kings?

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SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 6: Nemanja Bjelica #88 of the Sacramento Kings greets fans prior to the game against the Boston Celtics on March 6, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

A look into Nemanja Bjelica’s first season with the Sacramento Kings, and the importance of being a role player on an NBA franchise.

Let Us Talk About Role Players First

The role players that basketball franchises acquire could be the difference between them being a bad, good, or great team. Not everyone can be a superstar in the NBA. There must be players willing to sacrifice their individual goals for the overall betterment of the team. Instead of being Michael Jordan, like most people grow up wanting to be, they embrace the role-player mentality.

Adjusting to a role player can be a hard transition, as some players grew up being the best player on their teams before finally reaching the professional level. But great teams are able to find players that are unselfish and are willing to accept the role-player label so they can help their team fill a precise hole in their roster.

To be specific, that role could be becoming an energetic rebounder who can also protect the paint. Another role is being a three-point shooting marksman. There is also the role of being a defensive guru where they are responsible for defending the opponent’s best scorer night in and night out.

A deep bench is a code word for a team full of players who accept their roles and execute them to a tee. It is hard to find guys who take pride in becoming these players, but the great teams seem to always find them.

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