Getty
Nikola Vucevic #4 of the Boston Celtics
Obviously, scoring 144 points in a blowout win over a team that’s not actually trying to tank is a sign of a good day for any team, but there was a lot to like about the Boston Celtics‘ win over the Pelicans on Friday night. The 54.2% shooting from the field, and 49.2% from the 3-point line were positives, but the evening also saw another solid performance off the bench for center Nikola Vucevic, who could prove to be a key piece for the Celtics, even if he remains something of an unknown.
Vucevic was acquired from the Bulls at the NBA trade deadline, of course, but struggled in his adjustment to the Celtics, first to his new team’s offensive system, and also to his role coming off the bench. Vucevic has been a starter pretty much since his second season in the NBA, 13 years ago.
That adjustment was complicated by the broken bone in his hand Vucevic suffered in early March, which kept him out for four critical weeks. He has been back since April 5, but was 3-for-15 shooting in his first two games since the injury.
Nikola Vucevic Adjusting to Bench Role
Vucevic has been coming around for the Celtics, though, and after scoring 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting on Thursday, came back with a strong 14-point, four-rebound, five-assist night on Friday against New Orleans. That came in just 19 minutes of action, arguably his best game as a Celtic.
After the game, coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about Vucevic’s struggles to fit in with the Celtics, and where he is now as the playoffs loom. He had a strong defense of his backup center despite his early struggles.
Said Mazzulla: “I think coming back, one, you underestimate how difficult it was for the transition that he made, going from Chicago, where he’s starting and has developed habits and has a ton of knowns and just has a lot of comfortability, and coming to a completely different situation where he’s coming off the bench and trying to figure it out in different systems and playing with different types of players.
“You can’t underestimate the time that it takes to be able to do that, especially for a veteran that’s been around a long time. I think the way he’s handled it has been tremendous for us.”
Celtics Need ‘Physicality’
Mazzulla said that, in the long run, the natural ease with which Vucevic plays offense will be a benefit to the Celtics, as long he continues to show the willingness to mix it up defensively and be physical on the boards. That will make his transition back into the team that much more effective.
“So, you go from that transition, to an injury, to back,” Mazzulla said. “So he just has to simplify. To men, when he plays with a level of physicality, defensively and his rebounding, his screening and shot-making, it is going to make us a different team. He is continuing to get better at that.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
More Heavy on Celtics
Loading more stories