Bjelica’s funny answer on how Draymond, Iguodala make him better originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The best NBA players also make their teammates look good, and the Warriors did just that for each other during their Game 1 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Golden State kicked off the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs with a statement 123-107 win at Chase Center that came courtesy of a true team effort. From Steph Curry’s return to Jordan Poole’s historic night, everyone contributed in big ways.
Nemanja Bjelica joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors Live: Playoff Edition after the Dubs’ big win, where he shared how his teammates make him better. The Warriors tallied 33 assists on Saturday night, and while Draymond Green led with nine, the rest were distributed pretty evenly throughout the lineup.
Bjelica said assists come easily for a team with so much talent.
“I was mentioning a couple times during the year, when you’re playing with [Andre Iguodala], you just need to read him, especially also Draymond, Otto [Porter Jr.],” Bjelica said. “[Iguodala] has a lot of experience. It’s pretty fun.”
The Warriors rode an average of 27.1 assists per game to the NBA’s third-best record of 53-29 this season. Bjelica broke down exactly why and how Golden State is able to produce such effective ball movement on the court and how being surrounded by high-caliber players like his Warriors teammates helps him as a player.
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“We know our job, we know why we are here and we are a really unselfish team, especially in our second units,” Bjelica said. “Even if we’re missing shots, our offense looks good and for me, playing with those guys who know how to play, I look way better on the court.”
The Warriors’ power forward came off the bench and played in just under 16 minutes on Saturday in a clutch performance which saw him lead the second unit. Bjelica finished with eight points, two turnovers and one assist — just one small piece of a Warriors puzzle that now has a one-game lead over the Nuggets headed into Game 2 on Monday.
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