The critic doesn’t always live in reality.
Sometimes they choose to rent in perception and false narrative.
That way they can avoid the facts easier, and instead continue to point the finger at a player like Nikola Vucevic.
To say that the Bulls center is often the target of the blame game that’s gone on with the Bulls since the 2021-22 rebuild underachieved, is an understatement.
Zach LaVine catches heat, mostly because of the max contract. Patrick Williams gets chastised for being too passive in Year 5, but when it comes to this current roster it’s Vucevic that often feels like the dog that Bulls fans want to kick.
Yet, there the 34-year-old veteran stood on Tuesday, arguably playing like a top five NBA center so far this season.
And at least for now, the critics have to seek shelter and stay quiet.
Need proof?
The big man was third in scoring (21.7 points per game) amongst centers behind only Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic, second to only “Joker” in three-pointers made per game with 2.3, sixth in three-point shooting percentage (48.5%), first in free throw percentage (95.7%) for centers getting to the free throw line at least three times per game, eighth in assists with 3.7, and 11th in rebounds at 10.9 per game.
Blend that all together and the list of centers playing better than Vucevic right now is a short one.
The kicker in all of this is like he did after the loss in Brooklyn on Friday, coach Billy Donovan was again petitioning his offense to find Vucevic more after Monday’s loss to the previously winless Jazz.
“That’s a job we’re not doing good enough on offense,” Donovan said. “There are too many times (Vucevic) gets missed, and it’s not so much he needs to shoot it. Him against closeouts usually generates good offense for us. We’ve got to find ways to get it to him a little bit more.”
That’s because Donovan has been seeing the same thing opposing defensive players have. With Vucevic shooting what is currently a career-best from downtown, when he gets the ball behind the line, especially in transition, defenders have to close out on him and close out hard.
That’s allowed Vucevic to use his creativity and turn the possession into attacking the paint or him finding an open teammate. It was no coincidence that Vucevic had six assists against Utah.
“I know it’s early in the year but he’s really played well on both ends of the floor,” Donovan said of Vucevic. “He’s been great. He’s been great with the young guys. He’s shot the ball well both inside the line and outside the line. I think the thing with him with the way we’re playing, he’s getting a lot of closeouts. He’s trailing in and guys are running at him, and he’s really a good passer.
“A lot of his creativity has been off of him facing up, shot faking and putting it on the floor. He’s generated offense for us by putting the ball on the floor and attacking closeouts. That’s been good for us.”
Better for Vucevic.
For the past few seasons, he’s petitioned to have the ball in his hands more, just from the play-making standpoint. That’s why while he’s not thrilled about the 3-4 start to the season, he at least likes his involvement on the offensive side of the ball.
“I just want to continue to play at a high level,” Vucevic said. “Because I think I can help the team win and we’ll see where it takes us.
“The style we’re playing this year with the players we have, I’m able to do more … hand-offs, create actions, things like that. It’s something I’ve done most of my career, I’m really good at. So far I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been involved.”
Even if his critics aren’t.
