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By John Denton
Dec. 14, 2015
BROOKLYN – In his three-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic, center Nikola Vucevic has established himself as one of the NBA’s most consistently productive centers.
But while Vucevic can usually be counted on for double-digit points and rebounds – something only he and Memphis’ Zach Randolph have accomplished over the previous three seasons – the 7-footer struggles getting to the free throw line. Vucevic came into this season intent on generating more free throws for the Magic, but he’s in something of a drought of late.
Vucevic has attempted just 13 free throws in Orlando’s 10 games prior to Monday night in Brooklyn. In four of those games, Vucevic failed to attempt a free throw and in three others he had but a single free throw attempt. Vucevic did make all five of his attempts in Phoenix last Wednesday – the most that he’s shot since the second game of the season (eight in a double-OT loss to Oklahoma City).
“Anytime I watch a game I look to see if I could have gotten to the free throw line more,” Vucevic said on Monday. “I’ve gotten there a little more the last few games, so I’m going to keep trying to be aggressive and draw fouls. It will help me and help the team as well.”
For the season, the Magic rank 29th in the NBA in both free throw attempts (19.4) and makes a game (15). Vucevic has made 26 of 32 free throw attempts, but he ranks just seventh on the team in attempts per game (1.6). Tobias Harris leads the Magic in free throw attempts per game, getting there 3.5 times a game on average.
Much of Vucevic’s inability to get to the free throw line is because he is one of the game’s best mid-range shooters and he faces the rim instead of battling down low for position. Also, many of his rebounds are of the tip-in variety and opponents never have the option of fouling him to prevent a follow-up shot.
How low of a number is Vucevic’s 1.6 free throw attempts for a team’s top scorer? He ranks 51st in the NBA in scoring (15.5 ppg.) and of the 50 players ahead of him only Boston guard Avery Bradley (1.5) averages fewer free throw attempts a game. Also, 50 centers in the NBA average more than 1.7 free throw attempts a game.
SAME LINEUP: Magic coach Scott Skiles contemplated making another lineup change before Monday’s game, but ultimately chose to stick with the grouping that the team has used the past nine games. Skiles changed the lineup on Nov. 24 – moving Victor Oladipo to the reserves and starting power forward Channing Frye – and it immediately produced five straight wins.
Skiles is concerned about the Magic’s offense and he said he must try to get shooters such as Mario Hezonja, Andrew Nicholson and even Aaron Gordon on the floor more because they have shot the 3-pointer well of late.
Orlando came into Monday’s game shooting 34.4 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 17th in the NBA. That percentage has plummeted in the past six games as the Magic have connected on just 30.9 percent of their 3-pointers.
“The one guy who has shot the ball well from three who hasn’t played enough is Mario and we’re trying to find ways to get him on the floor,” Skiles said. “But then with the other guys who are playing more minutes, we’ve simply got to make more shots. It’s discouraging human nature-wise when you come down and the guys do a good job with spacing and we’re moving the ball and then a guy gets an open corner three and it’s a brick. In the NBA those shots have to go in for you. We’ve hurt ourselves a little bit too much with that and we have to step up and make shots.”
LUKE, I AM YOUR FRIEND: Like the rest of the basketball world, Magic power forward Channing Frye looked on in awe as the Golden State Warriors set a new NBA record by winning their first 24 games of this season.
What made that run extra special for Frye was the fact that his close friend and former University of Arizona college teammate, Luke Walton, was at the helm of that incredible run as interim head coach. Walton took over as head coach of the defending champions when head coach Steve Kerr had to take a medical leave following two back surgeries.
Frye has remained in close contact with Walton and the two of them text messaged one another often during the record-setting start to the season, which ended with a loss Saturday night in Milwaukee.
“He’s going to be a great coach and the biggest thing is the players on that team respect him and what he’s all about,” Frye said of Walton. “He knows it and we know that he hit the jackpot on (landing the Golden State job). He just kind of goes out there and says, `You shoot it this time.’ But you see that they play basketball the right way, they move the ball and they’re unselfish. They respect his rotations and the (play) calls that he’s making. And he respects their feedback – and that’s the beginning of being a good coach. And the rest of the stuff that he will figure out over time. He’s lost one (game) now, but go figure, none of it is on his record anyway.”
Because Kerr is still technically the head coach and Walton carries an interim label, the 24-1 start is officially credited to Kerr’s coaching record. An adjustment was made to the rules recently so that Walton could be named the Western Conference’s Coach of the Month for October/November.
