At first glance, Nemanja Bjelica comes off as a thick, unathletic and slow-footed defender. And also at the second and third glances. At 6’10” and 240 pounds, he may have the size to defend many of the combo wing/forwards that litter the NBA today including players like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Joe Ingles, but he lacks the necessary lateral foot-speed to consistently stay in front of them. However, despite his limited athleticism, he’s a very willing, intelligent and capable defender.
As we’ve seen with Andrew Wiggins, a player’s mindset is half the battle on defense.