Last week, the Chicago Bulls suffered a tough loss to the Orlando Magic, 108-107. It was an opportunity for Nikola Vucevic to face off against his former team, which unsurprisingly, drew out all sorts of narratives pertaining to his previous spell with Orlando.
The critics went hard on Vucevic and the Bulls after the loss, pointing out how both Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner outplayed Vucevic in the loss. Carter was the piece the Bulls sent to the Magic in exchange for Vucevic, while Wagner was drafted by Orlando using the pick that came from Chicago as part of the blockbuster trade.
Vooch was having none of it, though. When asked about this same prospect, the Bulls big man was honestly defiant in his response:
‘‘I know some people want to bring back the trade, the picks that were given [also a first-rounder in 2023], but it happened,’’ Vucevic said, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘If it didn’t, it’s not for sure the Bulls would have picked Wagner or hit on the pick. Who knows what would have happened?’’
It isn't surprising that Vucevic has been on the receiving end of this type of criticism amid the Bulls' current struggles. Chicago made a major investment in Vucevic when they traded for him last year, and you can't really say that the Bulls have reaped the benefits of that decision.
The Bulls are currently 8-11 to start the season, and until they start picking up wins, Chicago's stars should expect to receive a lot of stick from both the fans and critics alike.
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