Nikola Vucevic is Orlando Magic’s third quarter MVP

The defensive transformation of Nikola Vucevic has been one of the few bright spots for the Orlando Magic this season. His solid play of late has made him Orlando’s third quarter MVP.

The season was probably lost before the second half of the season started. That does not mean it has not been a brutal stretch for the Orlando Magic of late.

The past 20 games have seen the Magic cement their status near the bottom of the NBA’s standings and seen those Playoff dreams dim almost completely.

But one of the few positives for the Magic of late has been center Nikola Vucevic. Since late January, Vucevic has been one of the few consistent pieces on this Magic squad.

Consistency is something the Magic have been lacking all season.

Losing by large margins and coming back the next night as massive underdogs and picking up a win. Both Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon‘s play have been inconsistent too. Both are still trying to develop their offensive game and have nights where they completely disappear.

That has not been the case with Vucevic.

Since the Jan. 24 game against the Chicago Bulls, Vucevic has scored in single digits only twice and scored 14 points or more in 12 fo the 17 games during that same span. Being a consistent scoring threat is something the Magic expected from Vucevic all season long.

His shooting percentages have been low for the past few weeks as he has only shot better than 50 percent from the field three times since Feb. 7. Still, his scoring totals of late put him closer to his career averages.

Prior to this impressive stretch, Vucevic saw his scoring numbers drop significantly. Scoring only 14.4 points per game this year, Vucevic is well under his totals in seasons past.

Although head coach Frank Vogel and the Magic staff were able to develop Vucevic on the defensive side of the ball, he has taken a step back offensively.

Vucevic’s true shooting percentage is the worst it has been for his entire career (50.1 percent). He has had his worst seasons when it has come to offensive win shares and offensive box plus/minus.

The biggest problem with his offensive game this season has been his mid-range jump shot. Vucevic is shooting only 39 percent on 2-point field goals that are 16 feet or more from the basket. That is about nine percentage points worse compared to last season. Because he is taking these shots 25 percent of the time, he needs to make them at a more consistent clip.

Of late, these issues have improved for the most part.

The shooting percentage is still inconsistent, but he has been able to get more shots and find a groove since the Serge Ibaka trade. With his improved scoring of late, it makes it easier to place the “MVP” tag on Vucevic.

Especially since he has been good in other areas as well.

Scoring is not the only thing Vucevic brings to the table. On the glass, Vucevic has been great. Something the Magic need since trading Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline. Vucevic has snagged double-digit rebounds in 10 of the last 17 games.

Much of the reason behind Vucevic’s success this season is his play on defense.

For most of his career, many felt Vucevic’s defensive liabilities kept him from being a true starting center in the NBA. Now, Vucevic has transformed into one of Orlando’s best defensive pieces.

Vucevic’s defensive numbers may not do him justice. Only his defensive box plus/minus has made a significant jump. Last season, Vucevic had a 1.1 DBPM, this season he has jumped all the way up to 2.5. With the inconsistency of the perimeter defense in front of him, Vucevic has done a great job in protecting the paint.

In the middle of the season, the Magic moved Vucevic to the bench for a few games to see how Bismack Biyombo would handle the starting role. That experiment failed. Vucevic has proven he should not have lost it in the first place.

Since the move back to the starting role, Vucevic has been arguably Orlando’s best player. Although he may be tired of the continual losing he has been faced with so far in his career, he still performs consistently on a nightly basis.

This was not the season anyone expected from Vucevic. His play of late has solidified his role for the Magic.

Next: Dunc'd On Podcast: Orlando Magic most disappointing team

Only one question now remains, where does he fit in with Orlando’s future plans? That will be the question he helps answer in the second half this season.