It only took one game for Nikola Vucevic to reveal his value to the Boston Celtics. In his first appearance since Boston traded to acquire him, Vucevic turned in a double-double and operated with a clear focus on both ends of the floor.
In turn, it instantly became clear that the Celtics already have a strategy for bringing more out of Vucevic than the Bulls were able to: A clearly defined role within the system.
Vucevic finished his first game with Boston with 11 points, 12 rebounds, six offensive boards, four assists, and two steals in 28 minutes. It was a stellar debut from a player whose fit was initially questioned, but whose impact was profound in a 98-96 win over the Miami Heat.
Though Vucevic has undoubtedly produced games of this statistical nature in the past, there was a refreshingly defined nature to what he offered to Boston.
Vucevic was positioned to create for his teammates from the high post, crash the offensive glass, and work the pick and roll. Other elements of his game were highlighted, and that trend will likely continue as he becomes more comfortable within the Celtics’ system and rotation.
While the Bulls turned to Vucevic to do a bit of everything for them, the Celtics seem intent on giving the former All-Star a role within which he can excel.
Nikola Vucevic no longer asked to do it all, given defined role by Celtics
Vucevic was a pillar of the Celtics’ rotation on a night when it seemed like mistakes couldn’t be tolerated. He recorded three separate team-highs with four screen assists, 13 shot contests, and five boxouts to go along with the game-high 12 rebounds and six offensive boards.
Each of those statistics reveal how Boston positioned him to succeed, as he was effectively a complementary piece whose role was to create and deter chances.
It was a far more reasonable approach than how Chicago often asked Vucevic to do the same while also carrying the burden of a high-volume scorer. Boston clearly has more depth in that department, but the fact remains that Vucevic can pick his spots and focus on the more underrated elements of his game.
In just his sixth game all season with fewer than 10 field goal attempts, Vucevic seemed to be at his best in the sense of influencing winning and making a versatile impact on the outcome.
That isn’t to say that Vucevic should remain on the low end of the field goal attempt distribution chart. Instead, it’s an acknowledgement of how the Celtics can utilize him in a versatile role on either end of the floor and allow his game to flourish by simply defining what they need from him.
Assuming future games are handled in a similar manner, the Celtics should be vindicated for taking a chance on a somehow underrated all-around player in Vucevic.