As well as the Chicago Bulls have played to open up the 2021 season, not everyone is living up to expectations. The Bulls had high hopes for Nikola Vucevic when they acquired him for two first-round picks, Otto Porter Jr. and former top ten pick Wendell Carter Jr, at last season’s trade deadline.
Initially, Vucevic flourished in Chicago, averaging 21.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds on 47/38/87 shooting splits in 26 games. A late-season injury to Zach LaVine derailed the team’s playoff chances, but fans were optimistic about the duo’s potential.
The intrigue surrounding the Bulls only grew in the offseason once they made moves to get Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago quickly went from a one-man show with LaVine, to having one of the most talented starting lineups in the league. DeRozan and Ball clicked almost immediately in their new home, and fellow newcomer Alex Caruso has also been a key contributor, but the team’s newfound talent and depth have made Vucevic feel out of place.
Due to the team’s COVID outbreak, the Chicago Bulls will look for Nikola Vucevic to have a bigger role
Through 20 games the Bulls’ big is averaging 15.2 points per game and 10.2 rebounds, and it isn’t just the averages that are down. Vucevic is shooting a career-worst, 40.4 percent from the field. These numbers paired with below-average defense have made Vucevic more of a liability than an asset at times.
What has been the problem for Nikola Vucevic in 2021?
For most of his career, Vucevic has been regarded as a good player on bad teams, which has given him free rein on the offensive end. Without the presence of other all-star caliber players, Vucevic was the focal point of the offense and didn’t have to worry about co-existing with his teammates. Now the Bulls have two other players playing at an all-star level and commanding most of the touches. In his age 31 season, Vucevic has been relegated to a role that he isn’t familiar with.
Additionally, the injury to Patrick Williams has put more pressure on Vucevic on both ends of the court. The Bulls don’t have another true center on the team outside of Tony Bradley and tend to play with a relatively small lineup.
Being the only player above 6-foot-6 getting extended minutes, Vucevic has nearly double the rebounds of the next highest Bull and has also forced him to guard the opposing center whenever he is on the floor.
The Chicago Bulls will need Vucevic to step up with LaVine out
Adjusting to his new role on the team will take some time, and having to miss several games with COVID-19 at the start of the season certainly hasn’t done Vucevic any favors. But as much as the Bulls will need Vucevic to adjust his game later in the season, he finds himself in familiar territory for the time being.
With LaVine out until after Christmas and DeMar DeRozan coming off the COVID list for tomorrow’s game against the Lakers, Chicago may need to rely on Vucevic while the rest of their team gets back to 100 percent.
The Bulls don’t currently have the scoring depth to make Vucevic an afterthought and will look to get him looks early and often. This is where Vucevic has established he can make an impact. After coming off a career season in 2021, it would be foolish to think the talent is no longer there; it’s just a matter of figuring how to use that talent.
With the Nets starting to pull away with the top seed in the Eastern conference, the short-handed Bulls can’t afford any setbacks. The Bulls will have to play the Lakers, Rockets, and Raptors before LaVine could be cleared, and there is still an outside chance he could miss the Pacers game on Dec. 26 and the Hawks game on Dec. 27.
What has made the Bulls such a potent team offensively is the one-two punch of LaVine and DeRozan. With one of those guys out, there will need to be a substitute, and that is where Vucevic fits into this. He doesn’t have the complete scoring arsenal that LaVine does, but he’s had multiple seasons averaging 20 points per game on solid efficiency. The Bulls gave up a lot of assets to get Vucevic. This is his chance to show that he was worth it.