Kings' Nemanja Bjelica: Shines in preseason debut

Bjelica (knee) provided 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt), five rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 17 minutes in the Kings' 132-100 preseason win over Maccabi Haifa on Monday.

The veteran forward finally made his Kings debut after sitting out the first three exhibitions and turned in a solid effort during his modest time on the court. Bjelica is set to serve as an important part of the Sacramento second unit, with the possibility of playing up to three positions while likely serving as the primary backup to 2018 second overall pick Marvin Bagley at power forward. Bjelica has upped his minutes, points and rebounds over those of the prior season in each of the last two campaigns, so he retains some deep-league value heading into the regular season.