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Nikola Vucevic has begun to string together strong performances after his initial struggles coming back from a broken ring finger. While Friday’s game against the Pelicans lacked the intensity of the Celtics’ previous game against the New York Knicks, it was still a useful setting for the veteran center to build rhythm and chemistry with his new team.
One of the more under discussed aspects of acquiring players at the NBA trade deadline is the limited time teams have to get that player acclimated to their new basketball ecosystem. Joe Mazzulla appreciates how quickly Vucevic is becoming acquainted with his new team despite dealing with an injury that kept him out for an extended period.
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“We underestimate how difficult that transition is… going from Chicago, where he’s starting… to a completely different situation… You can’t underestimate how long that takes.”
Coming into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the skilled big man was coming off an up-and-down performance against the Knicks. It was a slow, discombobulated first half in which Vucevic went 1-3 from the field, struggled to contain Mitchell Robinson, and was a team-low minus-8. The recently acquired big man flipped that script in the second half by knocking down shots, controlling the glass, and consistently making the right play. That strong play continued last night. The Pelicans are an admittedly inferior opponent, and defense appeared to be optional for most of the game. But the veteran center too full advantage.
“You just have to simplify, to me when he plays with a level of physicality defensively and his rebounding, his screening and shot making, it’s going to make us a different team.”
The part of Vucevic’s game that can elevate the Celtics is his passing ability and quick processing speed. The big man had a lovely stretch against the Pelicans in which he recorded assists on three straight possessions.
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The key to leveraging Vuc’s passing is for him to operate in the short roll in space. His soft hands, scoring threat, and ability to draw defenders allow him to make precise passes…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nikola-vucevic-starting-footing-135000763.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-11 13:50:00
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