Orlando Magic Playbook: Nikola Vucevic’s passing makes him unique big man
The turnovers
There is a reason centers do not pass much. It is typically because they are not skilled enough and their attempt to pass the ball end up in turnovers.
Vucevic has been pretty good limiting turnovers. He is averaging 1.6 turnovers per game, a low for his time with the Magic. His 9.9 percent turnover rate is the lowest of his tenure with the Magic too. His first time at less than 10 percent for the year.
These are all encouraging numbers. But his mistakes reveal something about him and his passing too.
In the play above, it is very clear what the difference is between the successful passes Vucevic made earlier and this one. There is hesitation. That little bit of hesitation allows a good defender like Thabo Sefolosha to jump the pass and get an easy dunk.
As noted, Vucevic’s tendency to slow the ball down and wait can often be his undoing. When he makes quick decisions or moves quickly, it is usually the right one. He reads the defense really well. But he still has these moments where he stops. And that leads to his mistakes.
Like any other player, he is a victim to trying to pass his way out of trouble he created. In the play above, he tries to back down Dewayne Dedmon. But with no real plan, or no real aggression, he does not get the defense to move. Kawhi Leonard does the rest.
In the successful assists, note how player movement allowed Vucevic to read the defense and make a patient and solid pass. Someone else made the defense move in addition to the threat of Vucevic’s offense.
That is to say, Vucevic is not creating for others through his own attack. He is a conduit, it would seem and not necessarily a creator. That might also explain why Vucevic can be a pretty good passer for a center, but not a creator for others. Or maybe the Magic need to make opportunities for him to create.
And like anyone else, Vucevic is a victim of others’ good play. Give Leonard the credit for his defense in the play above and Myles Turner credit for his play here.