Nikola Vucevic isn’t new to the NBA grind, but even seasoned vets know that when you change teams midseason-especially to a contender like the Boston Celtics-it’s time to hit the tape hard and do your homework.
Wednesday night against his former squad, the Chicago Bulls, Vucevic showed what a little film study and a full practice can do. The Celtics rolled to a 124-105 win, and the big man came off the bench with a double-double, looking far more in sync with his new teammates than he had in his earlier outings.
“It helped a lot,” Vucevic said postgame. “Finally had the time to go through stuff in a little more detail, more reps - that always helps.”
It’s not that Vucevic didn’t want to contribute right away-he’s a pro, and a smart one at that. But stepping into Boston’s system on the fly is no small task.
The Celtics are a well-oiled machine with championship aspirations, and every cog has to know its role. Before this game, Vucevic had mostly been relying on walkthroughs and shootarounds with the coaching staff.
That’s useful, sure-but it’s not the same as getting real reps and digesting the nuances of a new playbook.
“Before that, I had walked through with the coaches, like at shootaround, and it was just a lot at once,” he said. “I think even that day in between was kind of nice to take some time off and watch some more tape, try to learn the plays a little more.”
That extra prep time paid off. Vucevic looked more comfortable in his minutes, both offensively and defensively.
He was reading the floor better, setting cleaner screens, and finding the right spots in Boston’s spacing-heavy offense. And maybe just as importantly, his teammates looked more comfortable with him too.
“I felt a little better,” Vucevic added. “I think tonight was a good step forward of where we can get to.
I think we felt a lot more comfortable out there, and I think the guys felt more comfortable around me and we were able to build some good chemistry. So, it was a good step forward.
Glad we got the win and continue to work on it.”
There’s still work to be done, no doubt. But this was a glimpse of how Vucevic can fit into the Celtics’ rotation-bringing size, skill, and veteran savvy off the bench. If this is just the beginning, Boston fans have reason to be excited about what’s ahead.