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Nikola Vucevic named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

By Jean Racine

ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 17: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 17, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - NOVEMBER 17: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 17, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Nikola Vucevic had a stellar week as the Orlando Magic strung together three impressive wins. And now he has the hardware to go with it.

The all-too-valuable Nikola Vucevic is finally starting to get some national recognition. The 7-foot center was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.

Nikola Vucevic played lights out in the week of Nov.12-18 as the Orlando Magic continue their torrid play and went 3-1, getting above .500 for the first time since opening night. He averaged 27.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game on 58.1 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent from three.

During Vucevic’s 134 minutes played, the Magic outscored opponents by 15.2 points per 100 possessions. The team was outscored by 18.5 points per 100 possessions with him off the court. This jaw-dropping stat illustrates Vucevic’s value for the Magic.

Vucevic put in some major scoring games in the last week. He became the first player to score 30 points in back-to-back games since Victor Oladipo did so in March 2015. He had 30 points in the Orlando Magic’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and then followed that up with 36 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, feasting on the Lakers small lineups in the post and then stretching them out when they went big.

Not to be outdone, Vucevic came up short of 30 points in the win over the New York Knicks but still scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while dishing out nine assists. He was an assist shy of his second triple-double of the season.

Vucevic has done it all for the Magic this year. And the Magic reaping the rewards for his strong play getting back into the national picture.

The last time a Magic player won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award was when Vucevic won it in 2014.

He has been one constant for Orlando the last seven years during its rebuild. Last week, he also surpassed Tracy McGrady for fifth in all-time field goals made for the Magic. There are bigger questions about Vucevic and his future to come, but he is cementing his place in the Magic’s history books.

For his tenure in Orlando, Vucevic has career averages of 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He is on the verge of having his best scoring season with 20.4 points on 55 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent from three.

A lot of times fans have called for the Magic to trade Vucevic because of his lackluster defense, but there are 29 other teams that can use his scoring punch. And his defense has been dramatically improved this year — his 2.4 defensive box plus-minus would be a career high at this pace and the Magic have a 107.0 defensive rating with him on the floor.

He has adapted to the modern NBA and is now shooting three’s at a high rate.  Vucevic has become more valuable than ever with his scoring prowess.

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The past week was Vucevic at the absolute peak of his powers. And the Magic reaped the benefits of it in playing a stellar week at home and putting themselves in a good position as the season’s quarter mark nears.