Nikola Vucevic no longer wants to play wide

This summer, Nikola Vucevic would have made a fine winner in the category “humorous tweet”. The day of Rudy Gobert’s resounding transfer to Wolves, he said: ” Glad my offer for the house I found in Salt Lake was rejected then. The name of the Frenchman has indeed circulated on the side of the Bulls. Such a transfer would presumably have required the use of Nikola Vucevic in return.

« I was on Zillow (real estate advertising company) every day… Salt Lake… No, just kidding! “Laughs the Montenegrin pivot in front of the press this week. Before adding more seriously: Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to it. By speaking with (Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas) and Billy (Donovan), I knew their plan and what they were thinking. People were constantly asking me about it, it was on my Twitter all the time. So when Gobert was traded to Minnesota, I thought it would be a good time for a little joke. »

Underused ?

The former Orlando player, who only felt ” at no time was this going to happen “, relativizes the fact of seeing his name appear in the rumors. But if so, what there is a reason. And it’s probably linked to the fact that his association with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine has sometimes left the Bulls hungry.

The two-time All-Star had to adjust to a change in status upon arriving in Chicago. Option n ° 1 in Orlando, it passed n ° 3 behind the two quoted backs. Not to mention his sometimes too limited impact in defense, the pivot had trouble finding his way in attack.

« It’s not so much my usage in terms of shot count. It’s more about the positions on the pitch where I can be effective. Last year, there were times when I said I was hanging around too much on the periphery. Yes, I can shoot but that’s not what I do. The 3-pointer is not my main weapon “, he assures.

With 4.5 long attempts per game, he shot a little less compared to his last years in Florida. Above all, its percentage has fallen from 40% in 2021 to just 31% last year, despite open positions.

« People are so focused on my 3-point shooting, and that’s something that I’ve added that I want to keep improving because it helps me and helps the team, but there’s so much more things I can do in the field. Last year, I didn’t do enough of those other things. I felt like I was shooting too many 3-pointers, even when things weren’t going my way laments the interior that seems to speak to Billy Donovan to be used differently.