Nikola Vucevic helps Orlando Magic find their way

The Orlando Magic have been struggling to get centered and find some stability. Their most stable player, Nikola Vucevic, helped guide them to a win.

Everyone in an Orlando Magic uniform Friday night was upset with the way the team played. It was an embarrassing performance to lose once again by 30 points to the Boston Celtics. As several players said, it is OK to lose, but it is never OK to play with such poor effort.

Saturday was a difficult day for the team.

And Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors did not start off so well either. The Raptors jumped out to an early lead as the Magic’s defense again struggled to keep the Magic in the game.

Throughout that time, there was one guy keeping the ship steady. And when he checked back into the game in the second quarter with the Magic trailing, he helped spark a 19-0 run.

Nikola Vucevic scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half as the Magic raced to the lead and took control of the game. And even as he receded into the background offensively in the second half, Nikola Vucevic remained the rock for the team.

Vucevic blocked four shots, including blocking a layup from Kyle Lowry that helped spark a fast break and extend the lead to 10 points, all but putting the game out of reach. The Raptors made their run back, but Vucevic iced the game with two free throws to make it a four-point game in an 114-113 win at Air Canada Centre on Sunday.

Vucevic, the Magic’s longest-tenured player, may not get everyone to follow his lead all the time. But no player has shown as much improvement or as much commitment to his team and his teammates as Vucevic. Sunday he would do exactly what his team needed and helped the Magic find their way to a win.

It has not been an easy season for Vucevic.

He spent the summer justifying his position as a starter after the team beefed up down low. All anyone could talk about were his weaknesses and how quickly they could replace him.

A lot of that narrative has not changed. Vucevic is still heavily involved in trade rumors. The reasons now might be more about his contract and the logjam the Magic created. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or it appears so.

The narrative with Vucevic has changed, though. And games like Sunday’s show exactly why Vucevic is as important as anyone.

He is something of the heartbeat or moral compass for the team. If there is one player who has given and continues to give everything to Orlando and the Magic, it is Nikola Vucevic.

Even in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, Vucevic posted a respectable 14 points and seven rebounds, making 7 of his 10 shots. He stepped up to stop ball handlers as they easily navigated screens, only to find there was no help behind him. The frustration on his face during the game was evident.

The disappointment in this season — and of last season — is also obvious for the last remaining member of that original Dwight Howard trade. Vucevic is the face of the Orlando Magic.

He may not be the star — he is averaging 14.0 points per game, his low since his first year in Orlando. Vucevic clearly is not good enough to bring others with him. But Vucevic is good to give whatever his team needs in a workmanlike manner.

Sunday, he did exactly that. The Magic needed someone to lift them up offensively in the first quarter, keeping the boat steady, Vucevic was there to deliver. They needed someone to keep the ball rolling and feed the hot hand. Vucevic was there.

In the second half they needed someone to stand tall in the paint and repel drivers, Vucevic was there once again. His defensive improvement so good, Jeff Green sheepishly questioned who said Vucevic was bad at defense when reporters asked about his defensive improvement.

Vucevic’s offensive numbers are not where they have been before. Frank Vogel has struggled to find the right way to use Vucevic considering all the pieces he has juggled. Vucevic has posted up less, shot more jumpers (and he is not an elite mid-range jump shooter this year like he was last year) and been more of a facilitator. It is one of the more frustrating part — and perhaps a sign of the team’s poor fit.

But Vogel has helped transform Vucevic’s defense. The same principles of verticality that turned Roy Hibbert into a defensive presence, have changed Vucevic too. Despite the Magic’s poor defensive showing overall, Vucevic is 18th in the league in defensive box plus-minus, according to Basketball-Reference.

Vucevic may still be less than perfect covering pick and rolls, especially when a guard can isolate him. But he challenges shots better and his positioning to recover is much better. It has increased Vucevic’s value.

That may end up being the double-edged sword for Vucevic. The NBA is cruel and cares not who is a fan favorite. Business is business. And the trade deadline is creeping closer.

Vucevic has always been professional, even through the frustration of having his role change time and time again. He has struggled to find his role and his rhythm offensively. All the while, he has contributed in whatever way his team needed him to do so.

It has not always meant wins. Maybe Vucevic is destined to be that crucial role player that just provides consistency every game. The Magic could use a dose of that.

Next: Grades: Orlando Magic 114, Toronto Raptors 113

Vucevic has quietly provided that all year long. And on Sunday, he was the guiding light to make sure the Magic came out with a much-needed win.