Following a 23-game absence due to a fractured bone in his left hand, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic instantly restored his place among elite FanDuel NBA centers with an impressive offensive performance Thursday night.
There were no signs of rust for Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic Thursday night, alleviating any concerns of his ability to contribute for FanDuel NBA lineups.
Even though he was playing on a minutes restriction, with Magic head coach Frank Vogel limiting him to less than 25 minutes against the New York Knicks, Vucevic displayed an exceptional shooting touch in his first game back after suffering a fractured bone in his left hand.
The injury forced Vucevic to sit out two months and miss 23 consecutive games. While he sat on the bench, Orlando went 7-16 in his absence.
Typically players have to ease their way into becoming a factor for FanDuel NBA tournament play, but Vucevic wasted no time in establishing himself as an offensive force, connecting on his first four shots from the field and knocking down a 3-pointer while being hit by Enes Kanter.
The sizzling shooting performance carried over for the rest of the night, as Vucvic totaled 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. His shooting percentage of 72.7 percent ranks as his second-best performance of the year, ranking only behind a 17-of-22 effort against the Brooklyn Nets.
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Saturday afternoon Vucevic faces the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft only to ship him out a year later as part of the Dwight Howard trade.
In his six seasons in Orlando, Vucevic has made a habit of tormenting his former team, averaging 19.8 points, 13 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 17 appearances against the 76ers. The rebounding average is his highest against any opponent in his career.
Earlier in the year, Vucevic shook off a poor shooting effort, as he made just 5-of-15 shot attempts, to still post 37.3 fantasy points in FanDuel NBA tournament play by totaling 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and a steal.
In his first game back, Vucevic proved he is ready to carry the Magic offensively and with a track record of success against Philadelphia, he is a viable center option for any FanDuel NBA roster.