The Chicago Bulls remade their roster last NBA offseason when they acquired point guard Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan in sign-and-trade deals from the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. That meant that some players would have to change their roles for the team to find success, one of them being Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic was acquired ahead of the 2021 trade deadline to form an All-Star duo with Zach LaVine. With the firepower added in the offseason, he would have to adjust how he fits within the system that new head coach Billy Donovan was employing.
It was a difficult transition for Vucevic, who averaged 17.6 points per game, which was his lowest output since the 2017-18 season with the Orlando Magic. Finding your fit alongside two ball-dominant players such as LaVine and DeRozan is certainly not easy.
Looking to open up more space for them, Vucevic found himself on the perimeter more. While a capable 3-point shooter, Vucevic is looking to change his shot selection for the upcoming season. Vucevic’s 3-point attempts actually dropped during the 2021-22 season compared to the previous season, but rather his placement on the court is what he is looking to change.
“It’s not so much about my usage as far as number of shots. It’s more of the positions on the court where I can be effective,” Vucevic said. “Last year, there were times that I said I was too much hanging out on the perimeter and yeah, I can shoot the ball, but it’s not what I do. The 3-point is not my main weapon.”
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The USC product made only 31.4 percent of his 3-point attempts last season compared to 40 the previous season. He never looked comfortable last season and part of that is certainly on the coaching staff.
“People focus so much on my 3-point shot, and it’s something I’ve added and I want to continue to get better at and do because it helps myself and the team, but there’s so much more I can do on the court,” Vucevic said. “I think last year, I didn’t do those other stuff enough. I feel like I was shooting too many threes, even when things weren’t going my way.”
Chicago needs to put him in a better position to succeed and getting him some more looks on the block, where he is among the most efficient players in the NBA, would make sense. Even if that means fewer touches for DeRozan in the high-post during the game, it is a sacrifice that the Bulls should consider making.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Nikola Vucevic & Chicago Bulls Updates
Vucevic is one of the best offensive centers in the NBA and that is something the Bulls should take more advantage of instead of deploying him as only a floor-spacing big man on the perimeter.
