The reaction around the NBA world to the Celtics’ trade for Nikola Vucevic was mixed at best, with many questioning the idea of sending out a microwave scoring guard in his prime, in Anfernee Simons, for a big man who’s well past his prime in Vooch.
The move was clearly financially motivated as well, as Boston trimmed over $6 million from its payroll, then made multiple corresponding moves on Thursday to dump more money and dip below the luxury tax.
But clearly, the basketball fit played a role in the move, as the Celtics have been actively seeking help at the center position and seem to think Vucevic will add a new element, especially on offense.
And as this deal gets consumed, and people digest the move fully, the early returns from the national media are largely positive. For example, on a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon reacted to the deal and raved about the possibilities for the Celtics.
Vucevic's spacing can make Celtics' offense unstoppable
Simon, who covers the Pistons, mentioned watching Detroit play Boston recently and thinking how if the Celtics had a big man who could space the floor, they’d be "unguardable". Both hosts agreed that Vooch can unlock that potential for the Celts.
They also opined that he could come off the bench or be more of a matchup play, coming in to “obliterate” second units and be someone to lean upon when the opponent plays a center who’s not a threat to score.
The consensus seems to be that Neemias Queta should remain the starter, and he’ll be the preferred wplay when the Cs want defense, rim protection, and an above-the-rim finisher or lob threat.
Should Vooch take Garza's job?
The real question here is just how much of an upgrade over Luka Garza is Vooch? At this point in his career, is he even an upgrade at all? Garza has been great this year with relentless energy and effort, impressive touch around the rim, and an uncanny ability to set screens and snag offensive rebounds.
Most impressively, Garza has shot almost 46% this season on almost two 3-point attempts per game, among the best for all centers in the league. His shot has come a long way, but he still hasn’t earned enough respect from the defense to have a major impact on spacing. If he keeps hitting his threes nearly half the time, that’s going to change.
But for now, he doesn’t have the reputation or gravity to provide the spacing that Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics desperately crave. Fair or not, Vucevic probably does. Just his presence on the floor may spread defenses out in a way that brings the Celtics’ offense to another level.
This may be an optimistic outlook, but it makes some sense, and the Celtics’ front office has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt. We’ll get our first glimpse on Friday night, as Vooch is set to make his Celtics debut when they host the Heat at 7:30 PM ET.