Orlando Magic: Grading Nikola Vucevic’s 2019-20 NBA season
By Luke Duffy
The Orlando Magic’s best player for the 2019-20 season was once again Nikola Vucevic, as he led the organization back to the postseason once more.
Throughout the 2019-20 season, as strange as it was for the entire NBA, the Orlando Magic were able to find some form of consistency and normality through the play of center Nikola Vucevic. One year removed from being an All-Star for the first time, the Montenegrin big man once again had a season to remember.
Remaining the focal point of the Magic’s offensive play as a result of the trust head coach Steve Clifford has in him, Vucevic routinely put up big numbers and kept the Magic in games against all manner of opponents.
This was just as well, as after signing a four year, $100 million deal to stick around in Orlando last summer, the pressure was on Vucevic to continue being the organization’s best player. Although that still seems like a lot of money for a big man in a league that has trended smaller, this could still end up being a beneficial deal for both thanks to the ever changing nature of the NBA.
Unlike last season, when Vucevic faded badly in the Magic’s return to the postseason against the Toronto Raptors, he also had his moment in the playoffs as well. We’ll get to that, and perhaps the matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks simply favored him more (Vucevic does not like playing against Marc Gasol), but either way it was great to see.
At this point as long as Vucevic remains a Magic player he will continue to climb the charts of the best players to ever wear the pinstriped blue, and when you consider some of the all-time great big men who have played in Orlando, that is some achievement. As Vucevic went so did the Magic, which led to some fun times and a predictable end to their campaign.