Best Offensive Center?
If basketball was played purely on the offensive end of the floor, then Vucevic would without doubt be amongst the NBA’s elite.
Only three centers in the East average more points per game, and only one of these is on a team that is neither the Philadelphia 76ers, or the Brooklyn Nets. This exception is Andre Drummond, who cannot score the basketball beyond three feet of the basket.
It would not be a stretch, in fact, to look at Vucevic’s combination of scoring, passing and rebounding and place him almost in a class of his own. The only other two Eastern Conference centers who can compete are Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls and Brook Lopez of the aforementioned Nets.
One could look at Vucevic’s game and note many similarities to that of Gasol, who also has a strong post game and can also step out and hit from mid-range consistently.
Should he continue to improve his passing, then Orlando’s center has a chance to emulate the game of the five-time All Star, albeit at a slightly lower level than what the former Los Angeles Laker once played at.
Unfortunately for these three, there is however a second end to the floor…
Next: The Defensive Conundrum