With the Celtics trade for Nikola Vucevic, most of the focus has been on Vooch’s abilities as a floor spacer and a true stretch big. Boston has been so reliant on great three-point shooting big men in recent years, like Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, and that element has clearly been missing from the team this year.
But quietly, an even bigger issue may be the lack of true post scoring on the Celtics’ roster. Neemias Queta and Luka Garza have done an outstanding job of manning the center position this season, but they’re both play finishers around the basket, and not much more.
Garza has turned himself into a very solid shooter, but the volume is still low, and teams aren’t exactly in a hurry to run him off the three-point line. Any real scoring from that position this season has been more of a bonus than anything else, and that could become an issue.
Vooch should be able to help solve the issue, not just with his long-distance shooting, but with his inside scoring. As Trail Blazers Analytics Insider, Tom Haberstroh pointed out on the Kevin O’Connor Show, the Cs were lacking a guy they could dump the ball to.
Vucevic should provide much-needed post scoring
Vucevic is a huge body with ball skills and touch. Boston can actually post him up, and he can create a solid look out of nothing. In the playoffs, especially, when things bog down and the game grinds to a halt, teams are forced to play in the halfcourt. The Celtics’ offense has struggled with that at times, and certainly when the threes aren’t falling.
Too much iso-ball from the Jays can make it a very challenging problem for Boston to solve, and without a true threat down low, the easy baskets are hard to come by. Hopefully, Vooch can help with that, and he’ll provide another element to the offense that wasn’t there. When things break down, instead of driving to draw a foul or throwing up a desperation three, the Cs should be able to work the ball to their new big man for a solid look that can rescue a possession.
Adding to that, Vucevic should be a beast when it comes to attacking mismatches. Before seeing him in action, you almost forgot what it was like, and what an underrated part of the Celtics’ attack that was with Porzingis. Whenever a non-big would switch onto KP, he’d get to the elbow, he’d get an entry pass, and he’d score.
It was as good as automatic, and it made everything easier for the Celtics. Due to the personnel, that dynamic just hasn’t been there this season. The hope is that Vucevic can provide that, and by the time the playoffs roll around, he’ll be ready to take on that role and give Boston’s offense something it has been sorely missing.