Where does Nikola Vucevic rank among Eastern Conference centers
By Sam Skubala
Offensively Offensive
Nikola Vucevic is without doubt one of the league’s finest offensive big men. He has an extensive offensive repertoire, consisting of an excellent post game including a near-unstoppable hook shot over the left shoulder, a rare driving game and a sweet mid-range jumper.
The 25 year old is shooting 45.3 percent from mid-range this season, including 51 percent from the right baseline, per vorped.com. This dynamic offense saw the former USC Trojan put up a career-high 19.3 points on 52.3% shooting from the floor last season. And although his numbers are down this year, he has continued to show a high-basketball IQ on that end of the floor.
Where the Montenegrin has really improved in 2016, however, is with his passing game. Vucevic is averaging a career-high 2.7 assists per game, and has an assist rate of 16.1 percent.
As the big man has started to draw more and more double teams, his ability to find an open shooter on the perimeter has added another dynamic to his already extensive offensive game, making him an even more dangerous weapon on that end of the floor.
His rebounding has also recovered after struggling to start the season, with Vucevic often struggling to box out opposing big men. In fact, his rebound rate even now sits at a career low, and in particular his defensive rebounding percentage fell from 26 percent last season, to just 21 percent this campaign.
Despite these struggles, he has seen a major uptick in his last eight games, averaging 11.3 boards per contest across this period, including acquiring seven double-doubles.
Next: But is he the best offensive center?