By Josh CohenMarch 23, 2016
As the 2015-16 season winds down, I will analyze several Magic players and assess what they did well this year and what they need to improve over the summer.
Strength #1: Offensive Repertoire
Nikola Vucevic scores in a range of ways. He has terrific footwork, a good first step (particularly when he drives to his left), strong hands, a soft touch from both sides, and a smooth 15-20 foot mid-range jumper. Vucevic ranks eighth in the NBA in post-up scoring, 18th in putback scoring and 23rd in pick-and-roll (roll man) scoring. WATCH:
Area to Improve #1: Initiate More Contact
Vucevic has one of the lowest AND-1 rates among all players averaging at least 15 points per game and he’s toward the bottom among starting centers in free throw attempts. Vucevic rarely uses a shot fake, which prevents defenders from barreling into him on his drives or up-and-under shots near the rim. He’s so concentrated on making the shot that absorbing contact tends to not be an alternative. WATCH:
Strength #2: Passing Out of Double Teams
Vucevic has quietly evolved into one of the better passing big men in the NBA. He’s averaging a career-high 2.8 assists per game and he’s dished out five or more dimes in seven games this season. Vucevic often commands a double team because of his scoring ability, which frees up teammates for open perimeter shots or cuts to the basket. He also has a high basketball IQ, which helps him make good decisions and reduce turnovers. WATCH:
Area to Improve #2: Deeper Position
Vucevic tends to drift away from the basket too often. Evan when he posts up, he tends to catch the ball closer to the 3-point line. While he’s an effective mid-range shooter (47.3 percent from 16-24 feet out), Vucevic probably takes too many of them. Nearly 30 percent of all his shot attempts this season have come between 16 and 24 feet from the hoop. That’s even greater than last season when 25 percent of his attempts came from this range. WATCH:
Strength #3: Careful Defender
Vucevic gets a bad rap for his defensive limitations. It’s true that he is a substandard shot blocker and his lateral quickness isn’t superb. However, Vucevic does play intelligently on defense much of the time. He avoids fouls by keeping his arms straight up and he seals off incoming rebounders well. Prior to the All-Star break, the Magic ranked in the top 10 in limiting points in the paint. That’s largely because Vucevic did a good job challenging shots at the rim while not giving up unnecessarily fouls. Vucevic could improve as a charge taker and he gets called for too many defensive three-second violations (leads NBA in this category). WATCH:
Area to Improve #3: More Intimidating Defender
While he may never materialize into an elite shot blocker (although he is averaging career high in blocks), Vucevic would be a more impactful defender if he can be more physical and aggressive inside. There are times when he allows his opponent to get deep position in the post. But then there are occasions when he uses his quick reflexes and instincts to make a good defensive play. WATCH:
Strength #4: Clutch
Vucevic has no problem being asked to take the game-winning shot. He’s made two of them this season. Both were tough shots and that didn’t seem to phase Vucevic, who is comfortable making shots even when defenders have the play covered. WATCH:
Area to Improve #4: Extending Range
I truly think Vucevic can be a good 3-point shooter. I wrote a recent article discussing how imperative it is to have as many 3-point shooters as possible on the floor at the same time. If he became a respectable 3-point shooter (DeMarcus Cousins, Al Horford added the 3-point shot to their arsenal), Vucevic could be an unstoppable offensive force. Those 25-point games that feel like 40-point games would actually be 40-point games. WATCH: