When marveling at Nikola Vucevic's strengths, there is a lot to talk about. It could be his array of lethal low post moves, maybe his sweet stroke that hovers between the midrange or beyond the arc, his elite rebounding. Maybe not much the defense, but he's certainly improved considerably in that area.
But if you ask the Orlando Magic pivotman what he feels most people should talk about more: it's his passing.
Asked Nikola Vucevic about his passing postgame: "It's something I take pride in. I feel like I was always a good passer, but now I understand where the defense is coming from. And my teammates cut and move well and I find them. It's a good feeling to set guys up."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 1, 2019
The Montenegrin certainly has a point. His assist numbers have steadily climbed through the years with 3.4 dimes per game last year and now he is close to almost four per night. And he's mixing it up with not only hitting cutters and shooters when double-teamed but also from the high post as he's known to feed his athletic teammates with some nice lobs, which is a total role reversal given their positions.
On top of the passing, Vooch's game has also improved immensely – averaging career highs of 20.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1. 2 blocks on 52.5 percent shooting from the field including a scorching 39.3 percent from downtown in nearly three attempts. These stats have led to the 7-footer making the All-Star Game on a crowded field for the first time and a franchise-first since Dwight Howard.
The Magic will have some important decisions to make in the summer given Vucevic's status as an unrestricted free agent and could sign anywhere else. Given the season he's been having, Vuc certainly will have no shortage of suitors.
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