A year ago, it looked like the Orlando Magic were looking to move on from Nikola Vucevic. Now with his 3-point shot in tow, Vucevic’s place is secure.
Nikola Vucevic has always been the workhorse for the Orlando Magic. He quietly put up the points and totaled up the statistics for a woeful Magic team. It was a thankless job.
And indeed, Vucevic got little thanks for it.
Even though he averaged a double-double with seeming ease, it was never enough. His style of play never seemed to mesh with the NBA’s new wave. For a Magic team that wanted to develop defensively, Vucevic’s poor rim protection and defense was always something that would hold the team back.
The Magic spent all of last summer seemingly trying to replace him. They acquired big men in Bismack Biyombo and Serge Ibaka who would put pressure on Nikola Vucevic’s vice-like grip on the starting job. There was almost certainly some frustration on Vucevic’s part for this.
The spacing the Magic had last year hurt him most too. His scoring average dipped to 14.6 points per game and he shot a woeful 46.8 percent from the floor. Vucevic was settling for mid-range jumpers as the paint became more congested.
As new management came in, it seemed inevitable the Magic would have to move on sooner rather than later. Vucevic, despite any defensive improvements — he posted a career-best 2.3 defensive box plus-minus last year and by all accounts had his best defensive season of his career — did not fit the modern, athletic, versatile style the Magic were chasing.
Things have changed dramatically this year.
Vucevic vowed to work on his post game and getting back to the post. But the Magic also asked him to work on extending his range out to the 3-point line. That had long been a request from the team. It was something he did not really start doing until last year in limited circumstances.
In Orlando’s new up-tempo offense, Vucevic’s 3-pointers are essential. And he is hitting them and making defenses respect the shot.
Entering Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Vucevic is 14 for 35 (40 percent) from beyond the arc. He has indeed returned his post game — as Matt Moore of CBS Sports pointed out. And Vucevic, averaging 19.0 points per game so far this season, has become a central piece to the Magic’s sudden surge this season.
It is safe to say that after years of doubt, Vucevic has rediscovered his place as a central part of this team’s future.
With the addition of the 3-point shot, Vucevic has transformed himself from odd man out and unwanted trade fodder to an essential offensive cog and valuable league-wide commodity. A move that may well just save his career.