Chicago Bulls: 3 players who will decide how far they go

Nikola Vucevic will decide how far the Chicago Bulls can go.

You’d almost have to feel sorry for center Nikola Vucevic at this point. Having been part of an Orlando Magic team that was never good enough to contend, but never bad enough to yield a first-overall draft pick, Vucevic came to personify that middle-of-the-pack construction of the Magic rosters he was part of.

But he was the best player on that team for about five years and was a two-time All-Star. Now it feels like the Bulls are sliding into the same position the Magic once occupied. To make matters worse, the Bulls gave up Wendell Carter Jr., a draft pick that became the already fantastic Franz Wagner, and have one more pick to give to the Magic next year from the deal.

That’s the bad news, but the other side of the coin is that if the Bulls were to turn to Vucevic more on the offensive end, he would surely deliver. Prior to joining he was a double-double machine in Orlando, and his polished offensive game, including footwork, soft hands, and an always improving 3-point shot, could be crucial for the Bulls to keep pace with other teams in the East.

Vucevic has often been maligned for being a poor defender, and while he struggles with the Joel Embiids of the world, the assumed narrative isn’t quite the same as the truth. Vucevic is an average defender and struggles with the behemoths in the league the way most other players do. In fact, he had 17 rebounds in his side’s impressive win over the Miami Heat to start the season.

The key piece really, is what happens after this year. Vucevic is an unrestricted free agent, and it may be in the best interest of the Bulls if they let him walk. If he is one of your best players, does it put a ceiling on how good you can be? The Magic would argue yes, and they unequivocally already won a trade in getting rid of him. Either Vucevic improves enough to have an impact going forward in Chicago, or he leaves and they look for ways to improve without him.