By John DentonFeb. 11, 2015
ORLANDO – Holding out hope that he would be a last-minute, injury-replacement pick for this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic refused to make any plans during the team’s upcoming eight-day break.
Sadly, Vucevic’s hopes of earning an all-star berth – something he is certainly deserving of based on his statistics, but likely penalized on because of Orlando’s poor record – ended on Tuesday. With Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade unable to play, the NBA selected Atlanta’s Kyle Korver as an injury replacement for the East All-Star team.
The 7-foot Vucevic is close to being the only player in the Eastern Conference to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game – he came into Wednesday leading the Magic with 19.4 points and 11.2 boards a night – but yet he was passed over by the fan vote, the coaches selections and the NBA. Vucevic ranks 18th in the NBA in scoring and Monta Ellis (20 ppg.), Rudy Gay (20 ppg.) and Gordon Hayward (19.8 ppg.) are the only players ahead of him on the scoring list to not be chosen as an all-star.
``Honestly, I didn’t plan anything because I was hoping for the all-stars and I didn’t want to jinx it so I was just waiting. The good thing is we live in Florida and I can drive to the beach,’’ Vucevic said. ``I was (disappointed) but I think Korver he deserves it and he’s been playing well for the Hawks and they have been playing great basketball. You always hope and think that you can make (the all-star team) and I was disappointed, but at the same time you’ve got to be happy for a guy who has been in this league for a long time and he finally makes it. He’s deserving of it.’’
Just 24 years old, Vucevic hopes that he still has plenty of time to accomplish the dream of being a NBA All-Star. He has boosted his scoring average each of his four seasons in the NBA, but he knows the statistic that could help him the most is more wins for the Magic.
``The big part is that we have to win for anybody on the team to make it,’’ Vucevic said. ``That’s my main focus. And I believe that if I keep playing at the level that I’ve been playing and we get some wins that I’ll have a pretty good chance of making it.’’
OLADIPO’S DREAM: When he competes in the Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star festivities, Victor Oladipo will be living out a dream that he never thought possible when he regularly watched the event as a starry-eye child.
Oladipo, Orlando’s second-year guard, predicted that his body will be filled with adrenaline when he goes out and tries to win the dunk contest. Oladipo will be competing against Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Minnesota’s Zach LaVine. He spent some time working on a few dunk ideas on Orlando’s off day on Tuesday, but he vowed that most of his dunks will come in the spur of the moment.
``It’s a big dream for me, I’m looking forward to it and it should be fun,’’ Oladipo said. ``I get to hang out with (Magic teammate Elfrid Payton) and it will be fun. When I get there and start seeing the people, the signs and the build-up, it should be fun for me.’’
Oladipo will have a busy weekend ahead by playing in the Rising Stars rookie/sophomore game along with Payton on Friday and then competing in the Dunk Contest on Saturday. Payton, who has thrown several lob passes to Oladipo during the regular season, could assist his teammate in the dunk contest on Saturday night.
The Magic announced on Wednesday that Oladipo plans to donate any earnings that he makes off the Dunk Contest to three charities – Florida Hospital Cancer Institute, Children’s National Medical Center and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center. The prize money for the dunk contest has been boosted by the NBA this season and the winner will receive $100,000, second place gets $50,000 and third and fourth will receive $20,000 each.
``There’s no point in doing it if you aren’t going to try and win it,’’ Oladipo said.
SPECIAL GUESTS FROM OTHER SPORTS: Brazilian soccer standout and Orlando City’s first-ever designated player Kaka and two-time Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth attended Friday’s game.
Kaka held a jersey swap ceremony with Oladipo at midcourt prior to Wednesday’s game with Oladipo receiving a purple No. 5 City jersey and Kaka getting a silver, sleeved No. 10 jersey. Coincidentally, Oladipo plays a lot of FIFA video games and one of his favorite players is Kaka.
Kenseth admittedly knew little about basketball, but said he was an avid fan of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. The Daytona 500 is Feb. 22 and Kenseth is hoping to win a third 500 title.
``There isn’t a bad part (about winning the Daytona 500),’’ Kenseth said. ``For me, it’s not just having the trophy, but having your name on that permanent trophy with all of the great drivers that have won that race. Being a kid you dream about being in the Daytona 500. To run that race, was one of my Daytona 500 highlights – just starting my first one and being in it with all of those great drivers. Then, to have my name on that trophy a couple of times is pretty priceless.’’