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Film Room: Nikola Vucevic

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By Josh Cohen
Aug. 28, 2015

Nikola Vucevic played the roll man on nearly 25 percent of his offensive possessions last season. He shot 52 percent and scored 370 total points on these shot attempts throughout the year, which ranked second in the league (only behind Anthony Davis). Vucevic, however, only had a 1.1 percent AND-1 rate when he rolled to the basket. WATCH:

Vucevic has some of the best footwork, head-fakes and scoring touch around the basket. He uses his pivot foot extremely well and his good balance and soft hands make him an effective scorer. Vucevic ranked eighth in the NBA last season in post-up scoring (374 total points). He does have a tendency to receive entry passes too far from the basket, however, which explains why only 29 percent of his shot attempts came after he posted up his defender. WATCH:

While he isn’t a hard screener (often shows screen and before making contact with defender pops out), Vucevic is extremely good at creating space to fire up a mid-range jumper. He shot 47 percent from the field last season on shot attempts between 15 and 19 feet from the basket. What’s fascinating is that he shot four percent better from that distance than he did on shots between five and nine feet from the basket. WATCH:

Vucevic has an extraordinary ability to track missed shots and tap the ball around to help avoid the opponent from grabbing a defensive rebound. He scored 201 of his points last season on tip-ins, which ranked fifth in the entire league. Vucevic was tied for sixth in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (3.2) and ninth in total offensive boards (238). WATCH:

One of the most underrated aspects of Vucevic’s offensive repertoire is his ability to face the basket, use a quick first step and use his strong body to fend off a defender for a shot driving to the hoop. He shot 58 percent last season on drives to the basket, which ranked in the top 10 for players who appeared in at least 60 games. Even against an athletic big like Nerlens Noel, Vucevic is able to capitalize on his strengths. WATCH: