Vooch the Stilt? Na, need a rhyme. Vooch Daddy? Nikola "the Dream" Vucevic? Wait, wait, the Montenegrin Thunder! The Chief? The Admiral? Vooch-a-licious?
It's something to work on, but the Bulls Tuesday in their 107-94 victory over the Washington Wizards may have rediscovered something they've had hiding in plain sight, a dominant big man.
Nikola Vucevic with the first nine points of the game, 15 in the first quarter and 27 through the first three quarters got the Bulls going, and then DeMar DeRozan with 32 points for the game and 14 in the fourth quarter closed out a needed and mostly dominant victory.
Sure, the Wizards aren't particularly magical and going nowhere near the playoffs. But staggering home in their eighth road game in the last nine, the Bulls not only needed any sort of helping hand, but in their desperation may have stumbled upon a formula that could be particularly effective in the bigger playoff games to come.
"I like to get it going early," said the 6-11 Vucevic. "Throughout my whole career, I've tried to do that. I tried to be aggressive coming out. With Zach (LaVine, 14 points after a scoreless first-half) and DeMar, they get a lot of double teams and different things thrown at them. So just trying to find my spots and my teammates were able to find me early on to score and be aggressive.
Nikola Vucevic scores on a hook shot over Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis.
"Sometimes we have trouble getting downhill and getting to the paint, so I think (my) postups can be a good way for us to put pressure on the rim," said Vucevic. "I know when I play one on one I am usually able to score against a lot of guys. And if they start double-teaming me, it opens up a lot for us playing inside out, which is important. You have to play inside out in this league. You can't just hang on the perimeter. That's sometimes something we struggle with and our offense gets stagnant. So it's something we talked about and tonight I was able to attack and most important we got the win."
The victory pushed the Bulls back into sole possession of fifth in the Eastern Conference at 44-32 with just one road game left this season, the finale in Minnesota on April 10. With Thursday's United Center matchup with the Clippers, the Bulls play five straight at home. So 50 wins, at least, remains possible, if not necessary.
Perhaps more importantly, the Bulls may have found a formula that has been staring at them for a long time without much in return. Vucevic is much too nice to say anything out loud, but he's been hinting at this in his occasional media sessions recently. With the NBA's continuing virus restrictions, player interviews remain off limits other than two designated or requested players going to a podium after each game. Since DeRozan and LaVine are the primary Bulls scorers and All-Stars this season, they get called upon most often with an occasional visit from a reserve after a good game.
When Vucevic has taken his turn lately, he's subtly raised points about involving others, sharing the ball more, and getting him involved even if it's just to facilitate and move the ball cross court for shots.
It's often become the riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma for this Bulls team that had lost 11 of 16 since the All-Star break: DeRozan and LaVine have been so good and productive they've saved the Bulls in so many games with their offense. But since the All-Star break, especially, they've seen more defensive pressure and attempts to take away their favorite shooting spots, particularly for DeRozan.
It's often resulted in DeRozan's shooting percentage declining, if not his scoring average.
The complication amidst all of this has been the absences and returns of players with coach Billy Donovan working in Alex Caruso and now Patrick Williams, and thus the moving target of rotations. But Donovan said the coaching staff discussed a more Vucevic-centric start to the game, and it was Vooch-mania in the capital. With plenty of basketball capital earned for the Bulls.
Posting up humongous Kristaps Porzingis and spinning for shots, stepping out for jumpers and demonstrating the prowess that attracted the Bulls at last year's tasing deadline, Vucevic got the Bulls going for a 28-23 first quarter lead and 51-46 at halftime after the Bulls were up nine late in the second quarter.
Uncertain about playing the second consecutive with his knee issues, LaVine was zero for three and scoreless in the first half. DeRozan's lens seemed a bit blurry to begin and he was two of 12 for nine points in the first quarter. Including having a shot shoved back in his face by mini guard Ish Smith. Of course, no big deal to him. Shooters shoot.
"I never let missed shots discourage me," said DeRozan. "I've learned to have a short-term memory when I'm missing shots. You've just got to keep going. I understand you can't be perfect, can't make every single shot."
Though he does make a lot, and eventually always seem to.
The Bulls had a little breakdown to open the second half, falling behind 56-51 as the Wizards finally made a few threes, though not many among their six of 26 for the game. Even in this second of the back to back, the Bulls, perhaps finally eying the finish line, were audacious defensively. They also finally got a nice pick-them-up from the bench with nine points each from Javonte Green and Coby White and six points and seven rebounds and more activity from recovering Patrick Williams.
Tap to listen to postgame reaction from Billy Donovan following Chicago's 107-94 victory over Washington on Tuesday night.
"That second unit did a nice job for us and I thought our ball movement (26 assists) was good and generated good shots, which was helpful," said Donovan. "I wanted to throw Javonte in there to see if he could energize that group and get Patrick out there with some of the main guys to maybe have him play off those guys. I think Patrick gave us good minutes. Alex (Caruso) has been dealing with some soreness in his back and the way Patrick was going I decided to keep him out there (down the fourth quarter stretch) the way he was playing and that group was playing. He offensive rebounded, he defended, he had some rim protection. He had a good finish in the first half; when he's playing well you want to keep him out there."
DeRozan and Vucevic alternated to get the Bulls back in the lead in the third, Vucevic's back door bounce pass to LaVine for an angry slam dunk a highlight. That Big Three combined for all but one of the Bulls 24 third quarter points and a 75-73 lead going into the fourth quarter.
There would be no let down this time with a mega efficient run of scores in 11 straight possessions that had the Bulls calling for the jet engines to start warming up with a LaVine three with 4:29 left for a 15-point lead. DeRozan had 23 second-half points on 10 of 15 attempts.
"For me, especially in the fourth quarter, I just try to erase whatever happened the previous three quarters shot wise and just try to focus and hone in on a different level when it's time for me to be aggressive," said DeRozan. "I feel a switch when the fourth quarter starts. It's like a different game for me. I try to approach it, mentally, where you know everything is going to pick up. And I do the opposite. I try to slow down. Because you can feel the game being completely different than in the first three quarters."
The Bulls got some luck with one DeRozan shot bouncing high off the backboard and back in, and some curious Wizards passing that explains a lot about being 11 under .500. But perhaps the Bulls also rediscovered something in their travels with their Gulliver.
"We're just trying to do a better job playing through Vooch," said DeRozan. "Especially with me and Zach getting pressured so much. Once he gets going, it makes everybody else's job easier. He was aggressive out of the gate and we leaned on that and got it going in the second half. You have to make a decision on how you are going to guard us. Vooch is capable of making plays, shots, shooting threes, mid range; teams have to make a decision. It's a tough cover."
The Vooch Mamba? Viola Nikola! Turner, Hooch and Vooch? Perhaps it's still a work in progress like the Bulls.
Tap to watch full-game highlights from Chicago's victory in Washington DC on Tuesday.