Orlando Magic: Nikola Vucevic Is Back

With Serge Ibaka gone, Nikola Vucevic looks more like his formerly dominant self for the Orlando Magic.

The Orlando Magic have returned from the All-Star break looking like a different team.

They’re 2-2 over their last four games, but the way they’re playing inspires a lot more confidence about their future.

Although they have the lowest three-point shooting percentage in that time span (and third-lowest in the league all season with 32.8 percent), they look a much better offensive unit.

They’ve averaged 102 points per contest over that period, and the addition of Terrence Ross is paying early dividends.

It’s not all on Ross however, as the Magic finally look to have their most consistent player of the last two seasons firing on all cylinders again.

That player is Nikola Vucevic, and with his role now clearly defined once more, he is thriving. So much so that he can keep the Magic in the playoff hunt a little longer.

The team is unlikely to make the postseason this year, but having Vucevic back playing at his best is key if they are serious about getting back there next year.

Moving Bismack Biyombo to the bench was the first part of Vucevic’s revival, and in actual fact that looks to be working out for both men right now. But sending Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Ross has really allowed Vucevic to regain his previous form.

He is now trusted to carry this team on both ends, especially around the paint, while the three-point shooting of Ross gives him more room to operate.

Whereas before Vucevic had Ibaka for company inside and no additional shooter to spread the floor for him, the offense has been unlocked with the personnel switch.

Vucevic has led the team in scoring twice and rebounding three times since the season resumed after the festivities in New Orleans. He’s also bumped his numbers up to the point where he is now averaging a double-double for the season once more (14.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game).

This team knows what it is getting when Vucevic is on the floor, but he now looks comfortable as he is featured in the offense again once more.

Even more encouraging are the numbers that reflect Vucevic’s play since the decision to part with Ibaka was made. He is averaging 20 points and 10.5 rebounds during that timeframe. Interestingly, he has also gone 2-for-5 on three-point attempts too.

Vucevic was falling in love with his outside shooting to start the year, but adding some three-point shooting to his improved rebounding numbers is a plus in both areas.

Orlando Magic

He is also averaging 29.5 minutes per game in that four-game span, which is up slightly on the 28.6 he is averaging for the season.

Head coach Frank Vogel looks to be slowly easing him into having more minutes again (he averaged 31.3 last season) and so far it’s working well for team and player.

Possibly the best development in Vucevic’s return to prominence, however, is how he’s playing on the defensive end.

Vucevic was often a liability defensively in years gone by, but these days he looks competent on that end of the floor.

Biyombo is still the better screen setter and general defensive presence, but Vucevic looks to have learnt from Ibaka and Biyombo.

His defensive box plus/minus of 2.5 is by far a career high, and well up on the 1.1 of last season. To watch Vucevic on that end now is to see a player who commits less silly fouls and knows his role.

He also looks to be better at going straight up when contesting shots, and his elite footwork means he always has a shot at making a defensive play.

The one block he is averaging per game is right around his career average, although he has six in his last four games. Why that is even more important is because Biyombo, a brick wall for the Raptors in the playoffs last season, has a defensive box plus/minus of 2.6.

This doesn’t tell the whole story, and it is just one way to compare the two players. Again Biyombo is the better, more defensively savvy, player. But the fact Vucevic, known as an offensive big man for years, is even in the same league as Biyombo in some areas is very encouraging.

Given how he was handed a lesser role in this team to start the season and was the subject of much trade speculation too, it speaks volumes that he could improve defensively the way he has.

He could have come off the bench and gotten his offensively, putting up high scoring numbers in pursuit of a trade elsewhere. Instead he committed to becoming a better player defensively, and that is something not a lot of guys would do.

That is exactly why it’s so great to see Nikola Vucevic back and being this team’s most consistent player on both ends of the court.

He carried the team through some tough years where the team won less than 30 games, and he did so without ever complaining.

Now he has some help, and the Orlando Magic have wisely given him a larger role in their plans for the future.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

Already he’s providing in a big way for this team. Nikola Vucevic, he does not disappoint.