Nikola Vucevic made his return to the court after an 11-game absence. It was a return that was more than welcomed for a player vital to the Orlando Magic.
After the Orlando Magic completed their four-game win streak to return to .500, someone in the media dared to ask coach Steve Clifford whether this play was truly sustainable. What were the Magic missing with Nikola Vucevic out of the lineup?
Clifford seemed a bit offended by the question. As Clifford sometimes scolds the media, this is the question of someone who is not watching things close enough.
He gave a response he repeated Sunday when asked about Nikola Vucevic’s absence. There was almost no area where the Magic did not miss Vucevic. Despite the team’s 5-6 record without him, Clifford said he did not realize how much the Magic missed him. It was worse than he thought it would be.
He and the team were eager to have him back on the floor. The Magic’s full potential could not get unlocked without him.
The team was too stagnant offensively without him, relying more on pick and rolls and isolations rather than the reliability of Vucevic’s post-ups, cutting off him in the high post or even his threat as a roll man in pick and rolls.
The team lacked his rebounding prowess. Vucevic has a defensive rebound rate around 30-percent, a number no one on the team even approaches. While Vucevic has his shortcomings defensively, he is counted on for his positioning and ability to corral and direct players within the scheme.
Vucevic makes so much go. It is easy to forget how much easier he makes everything in his absence. The Magic did all they could with him out. Almost immediately his impact was felt as the Orlando Magic played the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
On the Magic’s second possession, Evan Fournier came around a screen and shot a floater. It missed, but the attention he garnered freed Vucevic up underneath for the putback. A simple, but strong start for sure.
This was the kind of play Vucevic makes routine and the Magic depend on to bolster their scoring. He is the most sure-handed player around the rim and the Magic missed that.
Vucevic still did not have his full complement of plays. It was clear the Magic were protecting him a bit. He was playing under a minor minute restriction as he continues to regain his wind from his absence and recover from the ankle sprain.
But even without the team running everything through him or setting him up for his typical pick and rolls or post-ups, Vucevic still found ways to score. Just the threat of his scoring caused the Pelicans to collapse the paint and open things up for everyone.
In Vucevic’s return, he scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. He did plenty of work around the rim, ducking toward the rim off drives and slipping and rolling off screens. Nikola Vucevic hit a pair of 3-pointers, including a rare corner-3 when he faded to the corner off a Markelle Fultz drive.
Overall, the Magic flowed and operated better with Vucevic in the offense and on the floor. He posted a 26.7-percent defensive rebound rate. Far below his season average, but still better than what Kehm Birch struggled to.
Orlando still needed to improve on the glass. But when Vucevic dialed in and found his rhythm after his first stint, he was a big part of the Magic building their lead.
Still, Vucevic clearly was playing his first game in nearly a month. Vucevic certainly was a bit off on his timing.
Offensively he was still clearly getting himself back into rhythm. The Magic were not running a lot of offense through him and were still using him as a secondary player. Perhaps the Magic did learn something about their team with Vucevic out and can add a new dimension to their offense.
Defensively he was not setting his line as aggressively and guards were able to get into the lane. Vucevic always walks a fine line defensively between corralling players and containing them or getting blitzed by aggressive guards attacking the basket.
The Magic still played their best defense in the game with Vucevic on the floor — a still-not-great 117.2 defensive rating Sunday. But that was enough to get the job done for the team. Vucevic had some solid defensive moments, but he was still getting his timing and positioning down.
Granted all this came against the Pelicans. They are a team that picks up the pace and is in constant attack. But they are not exactly known for their defense.
The Magic’s confidence and energy were certainly up throughout the entire game, however. And they exploited these defensive weaknesses, keeping pace offensively with their hot shooting.
There was an extra pep to their step. And even with Vucevic taking on a somewhat reduced role, he was still able to keep everyone involved.
The mere threat of his jumper or his roll was enough to force the Pelicans’ defense to account for him. And that opened up a lot of other things for other players. Even with the Magic playing the way they were playing with Vucevic out, he undoubtedly made a big contribution.
The shots he got were products of good playmaking and he converted on plenty of them to make the defense pay. That was an element the Magic were missing and why Vucevic is so valuable.
Getting him back up to speed is a priority for the team because of how good he is and what he can provide the team.
His first game back was very much easing him back in. He was a supporting player and took advantage of the space he creates and the good passing the Magic had throughout the game. He attacked the offensive glass and stayed ready to shoot.
Vucevic still has to get his timing and rhythm down. There are undoubtedly tougher challenges ahead. But Vucevic’s return was a more-than-welcome sight for the team. Orlando simply operates better with Vucevic on the floor.