Chicago Bulls: 2 studs, 1 dud, from commanding win over Mavs

Chicago Bulls studs from win over the Mavs: Nikola Vucevic

One aspect of this Bulls team that really shined through in this win over the Mavs was the fact that this group can be very versatile and special when two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic brings the amount of value to the table that we all know he can. No big-time Bulls player got off to as slow of a start to the regular season as Vucevic.

In fact, I believe this is the first time that Vucevic is a stud on this list in any game we’ve done the studs and duds for. The only times where he made the list thus far was as a dud.

Here’s to hoping that this is an official turning point for Vucevic from here on out.

Something that could indicate a shift in confidence for Vucevic was in the Bulls’ 23-point win over the Nets on Nov. 8. The performance that Vucevic put together as a whole against the Nets wasn’t great. But he really got hot down the stretch in a huge fourth-quarter run for the Bulls.

The opposite happened in this game, though. Vucevic came out of the gates firing against the Mavs on this night.

In this win over the Mavs, Vucevic registered 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, no blocks, and two turnovers. And he shot an efficient 8-of-14 from the field, 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, and hit on his only attempt from the charity stripe.

This was difficult to pick between Vucevic and point guard Lonzo Ball as the last stud on the list. Lonzo was really good in this win over the Mavs too. But the way Vucevic is starting to show signs of life in his game of late has made a more profound impact on this team.