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Manu Ginobili: Nikola Vucevic became one of best centers in the NBA

By Brett David Roberts

Mar 8, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) shoots while being defended by Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) shoots while being defended by Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Manu Ginobili left it simple, stating that Nikola Vucevic is a force in the paint and has become one of the top centers in the NBA.

Nikola Vucevic did not have a great game against the San Antonio Spurs, struggling (see: failing) to contain a backup center in Aron Baynes. Even so, he has drawn rave reviews all year, which is a good sign for a team that may be in a state of flux this offseason.

OMD asked Manu Ginobili for his thoughts on Vucevic:

"“He’s a very good player, reliable, big and a great rebounder. He’s a force in the paint and became one of the best centers in the league, really.”"

That is high praise, but echoed around the league.

Ginobili may have given Vucevic too much credit for his toughness in the paint, but he nailed it with the reliability.

Even when Vucevic has his off nights, he finds ways to impact the game, for instance dropping five dimes in the loss to the Spurs on Wednesday night. He has been good on the boards all season. Really, it is hard to cast any of the blame for this abysmal season on the shoulders of the Magic’s franchise center.

With Vucevic drawing rave reviews both from players and coaches, it bodes well should the Magic decide to eventually have to part ways with him. Vucevic has the final say on trades for the next year plus due to the extension, but one would figure that the former USC player would find a trade to a contending team very appealing down the road.

While he has thrived in Orlando and gave notice to the league of his talents as a player, his shortcomings are equally as glaring. . .

The Spurs exposed his slow feet and attacked the center of the court, which often freed the 3-point shooters as the Spurs continued to get good looks for Marco Belinelli and company, using the triples to launch a 20-2 run to open the second quarter and end up on top 36-21 as the Magic’s field goal percentage plummeted to just 28 percent.

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The Magic had nine offensive rebounds at that point but it was deceiving due to the fact that Orlando had already missed 25 shots, and the game was rapidly evading the Magic’s reach.

By the 4:43 mark of the second, the Magic bench had played 28 minutes while scoring just two points on 10 field goal attempts. Meanwhile, the Spurs bench was able to exploit the Magic starters, causing Dewayne Dedmon to foul out while Vucevic played a careless brand of defense that resulted in numerous Baynes dunks.

While Ginobili may have been quick to label Vucevic a force in the paint, it certainly was not on the basis of the game played.

It goes without saying NBA players keep tabs on one another, and the implication here may be that Vucevic could find a home in San Antonio. With Tim Duncan on the way out, it stands to reason that Nikola could be a good fit in a locker room replete with foreign tongues — and a system that mixes and matches players to their strengths.

Next: Elfrid Payton remaining humble through strong rookie season