The Orlando Magic center has showcased his best ball in the pros. Reward him properly!
With the arrival of low-risk, high-reward center Mohamed Bamba, it looked like the Orlando Magic would set aside their seven-year starting center Nikola Vucevic. A move like that happens when teams (primarily rebuilding ones) either trade or release a veteran starter who doesn’t fit into future plans.
Nikola Vucevic (photo, ClutchPoints)
It happened in the NBA this year. The Suns released 36-year-old Tyson Chandler to free up playing time for their 1st overall pick, Deandre Ayton.
Would the same fate befall Nicola Vucevic in Orlando? It won’t. And that’s because Vucevic has delivered … and big time, too. But make no mistake about this: that outcome wasn’t just of Vucevic’s making. One reason for improved play is the Magic’s new head man, Steve Clifford. Clifford’s coaching adjustments have allowed Vucevic to become a driving force on the offensive end.
While Clifford’s record with the Charlotte Hornets was anything but stellar, there is one thing he well–develop big men. Clifford’s main emphasis (especially during his early tenure in Charlotte) was to play an in-out style with its strong emphasis on attacking the inside painted area on offense.
An in-out style forces the defense to collapse, which leads to more open shots on the perimeter. And that approach enabled players like Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller, and most recently Frank Kaminsky to become better players in the paint.
In Orlando, we’re seeing more of the same with Vucevic. The Magic’s go-to player on offense, the in-out scheme has opened up mid-range and post up opportunities for what many analysts thought was a one-dimensional player–a stereotypical foreign big man.
Vucevic is scoring–and from distance, too–shooting at a career-high of 45% from beyond the arc. Those outside shooting gains have opened up opportunities for him to be a threat down low. Defenders now have to play tighter on the perimeter because Vucevic can knock down threes. He has also added more moves down low, which has contributed to a career-high field goal percentage of 55%.
Vucevic is rebounding, too, at 10.8 r.p.g.–his highest since 2015. That work on the glass has allowed the Magic to move more in transition, a move that features their young and athletic wing players. With Vucevic’s transformation, the Magic has become a tough match-up. Teams are forced to view Vucevic as a legitimate 20-point-a-night scorer and have to adjust their defensive schemes accordingly.
Add it up and it’s why I think Vucevic needs to be given serious All-Star consideration. And Vucevic’s emergence doesn’t mean Bamba is out of the picture. If Clifford can fix the team’s rotations–either by putting Bamba at the Four or restructuring Vuc’s minutes to get the most efficiency–then the Magic will be a force to be reckoned with.
Who would have thought? Nikola Vucevic, NBA All-Star.
