Hoops Habit mock draft for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game
Nikola Vucevic
So, as you can probably tell, I wasn’t left with any other choice but to select Nikola Vucevic at the end of the second round. But in a draft where everyone is an All-Star, such a predicament certainly isn’t one to complain about.
Always a productive player in his previous seven seasons, Vucevic has taken his game up a notch in 2018-19, averaging career-best marks in points, rebounds, assists and 3-point percentage. He’s adapted to modern times and combined it with his already productive inside game. He’s a problem not many have been able to solve.
Vuc has trouble moving laterally when forced to defend out of his element, and his ability to protect the rim as the last line of defense is virtually non-existent. Luckily for him, the All-Star Game doesn’t feature much defense, even in this new format.
He was the last pick in this draft and he’s got a good shot at that spot in the actual one on Thursday. It’s likely he’ll just be happy to be a part of the weekend’s festivities. Nobody can take the All-Star status away from him, but Vucevic still has a ways to go before he can earn serious minutes in a game with the league’s absolute best.