Golden State Warriors: Where Does Nemanja Nedovic Fit?
By Ben Woodward
Every year when the NBA preseason schedule begins to unfold, one thing is guaranteed to happen. Fans, writers and analysts will feverishly break down and pick apart their team. A new Golden State Warriors season is upon us, so we interpret preseason coaching decisions, marvel at the potential talent of rookies and attempt to predict the future of the season.
After their first preseason game, a 112-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, there was already plenty to discuss. Despite turnover issues, the starters looked good for the Dubs led by Klay Thompson and his 20 points and four steals.
Andrew Bogut (10 points, seven rebounds) played well in a limited 17-minute night. Stephen Curry logged just 18 minutes due to foul trouble, but managed to get to the free throw line for eight of his 12 points.
The story of the game for me was the bench play. Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Nedovic played excellent basketball off the bench for Steve Kerr. If that bench can continue to perform like they did on Tuesday night, it’s a bit of a game changer for the Golden State Warriors. There’s no telling what the potential for this team could be.
What interested me the most was the play of Nedovic. Judging by Steve Kerr’s reaction after the game, he was impressed as well.
"“That’s the best I’ve seen Nedo play,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s had a good camp. He had a really good first couple of days. The thing with Nedo is that he just needs to run the team. He doesn’t need to score, but we love the way he pushes the ball. He really attacked and put pressure on the defense.”"
He’s been a bit of a man of mystery for the Golden State Warriors thus far. He missed Summer League action last year, and then missed several NBA and D-League games due to injuries. Make no mistake about it — Steve Kerr will have his eyes on Nemanja Nedovic for the duration of this month, and for multiple reasons.
Reason number one is obvious. Steve Kerr wants to know if he can trust Nedovic with handling the ball and running the offense when Stephen Curry is getting a breather. He’ll be splitting minutes with Shaun Livingston as the backup point guard, but the Dubs have to be intrigued with his presence on both ends of the floor.
Reason number two is less obvious but equally important. The Golden State front office needs to get a good hard look at the Serbian guard, because they’ll be deciding on whether or not to pick up Nedovic’s third-year option. It goes without saying that this preseason is essentially Nemanja Nedovic’s only opportunity to show he deserves that money.
From Rusty Simmons of SFGate.com, Nedovic elaborated on his health and what lies in the realm of possibility.
"“When I’m healthy, everything is possible,” Nedovic said. “I’m moving a lot better. I’m way quicker. My body just feels great.”"
Great news for Golden State Warriors fans everywhere. Over the summer, the guard situation going into training camp was not exactly what the Golden State Warriors had hoped for. Newly-signed Shaun Livingston revealed his injured toe required surgery. The Dubs parted ways with Jordan Crawford and Steve Blake.
It seemed like the backup point guard role, until Livingston returns, was up for grabs between Aaron Craft and Nemanja Nedovic — two guys with little to no NBA experience.
As Nemanja Nedovic plays more this preseason, it will become apparent that the Golden State Warriors decision-makers should absolutely be picking up this kid’s option. A combo guard with what seems like hidden athletic ability, Nedo has decent size for the point position and a promising three-point shot.
If I’m Steve Kerr or Bob Myers, I’m picking up Nedovic’s option well before the deadline at the end of the month. I’m giving him 15-18 minutes per game off the bench while he proves he can run the second unit. I would also make sure to stick him out there alongside Stephen Curry when Klay sits, just to see what Nedovic can do off-ball when the defense isn’t watching him.
Nemanja Nedovic has never scored more than five points in his young NBA career thus far. That changes in 2014-15.
With all that being said, as Gerald Bourguet recommended in his recent article, take all of this with a grain of salt. It’s the preseason. But for Nemanja Nedovic, he will be playing for a third-year option worth over $1.5 million. Expect to see his very best.