Bulls star center Nikola Vucevic is “totally fine” with accepting a reduced offensive role — so long as the team continues to win, Sam Smith of NBA.com writes. Vucevic is averaging just 13.8 points per game on 14.1 shots attempted this season, down from 24.5 points on 20.6 shots with the Magic last year.
“Obviously, my role is a little different than what I had offensively last year when I came here than with Orlando,” Vucevic said as part of a larger quote. “There’s more talent and more guys who can score. So it’s a little different offensively for me.
“So I just try to do different things, passing, defensively rebounding; there are many ways you can impact the game, screening and doing other things that I can to help the team. When you have so much talent around you, you have to adjust, a little bit change your game and play a different way. And that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
The Bulls have opened the season at 6-2, good for the third-best record in the East and fifth-best in the league. The franchise is motivated to return to the playoffs this season after missing the tournament four straight years.
Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Heat veteran Udonis Haslem envisions having an ownership stake in the franchise one day, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Haslem has won three championships with the team, playing 861 regular-season and 147 playoff games over the course of his 19-year career. “Even with so much going on in my life, this organization would be a top priority, a major priority for me,” Haslem said as part of a larger quote. “There’s no way I can be a part of this and not focus on moving the needle. I think everything that I’ve been about these last couple of years has been focused on moving the needle, has been from a position of ‘How can I impact winning without playing?’ Well, you see how I impact winning without being on the court.”
- The Cavaliers are brimming with confidence to start the season, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. The team is coming off a hard-fought victory against the Raptors, winning 102-101 on the road. “There’s something special brewing in that locker room,” said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who’s guided the team to a 6-4 record thus far. “Everybody wants to be a part of it.”
- The Bulls promised to draft Nuggets guard Will Barton with the No. 29 pick in 2012, the veteran told Mike Singer of the Denver Post (podcast link). Chicago ultimately drafted Marquis Teague, while Barton was selected at No. 40 by Portland. “It created a monster,” Barton said.
Cavs are playing great!
Kinda figures Garpax gave Barton a promise and broke it, but kept it for Chandler Hutchison. It is so nice to be rid of them and their Marquis Teague-drafting asses.
Thank god bulls fired them…akme way way better.
Bulls and Cavs off to a good start. If I’m Cavs I’d still want another lottery pick. Mobley is looking real good. Thought it would take longer. This draft class is showing how good it was. Lots of real talent.
Every year we hear how trash the draft class is, and then every year we see ‘oh these guys aren’t trash’. The only complete trash year that stands out to me was 2010 draft. Everyone hates the 2013 class, except it produced a 2x MVP. 2010 is probably the worst of them mainly due to injuries of the main draftees (Boogie, Wall, Hayward).
Always hate when people on here hate on a draft class before they step on the court. Arguing over evaluation and draft selection is one thing.
I am impressed too by this draft class. I thought the Cavs were bleeping up, but they are making that big lineup work. I think it helps that each of these guys have shown the ability operate in space to a certain degree. But they are all shooting abysmally right now, need them to at least shoot league average from 3pt range. Around the rim they are solid tho. Their success will depend on their ability to improve their overall team shooting. They still have a bullet to use in Kevin Loves contract. If they are in the play-in by the break think they should attach their 1st to Love and try to get a playmaker ala CJ McCollum.
It is unfair to the Bulls, that Barton (and Mike Singer of the Denver Post) are saying that Barton got a promise from them, given that “promise” has been used in the NBA to indicate a more binding relationship than what the word generally means. The Bulls broke a lesser promise than what Barton indicates.
Even assuming Barton is truthful (although anyone could say something was heard in a phone call)… He is technically accurate, or at least defensable. He did indicate on the podcast that he worked out for numerous other teams, which means, while he may have gotten a promise, it was NOT a “promise” promise.
Among NBA scouts, a “promise” has come to mean in recent years that the prospect has shut down all workouts and interviews with other teams. It would be his choice, after a GM offered a promise, even though a prospect may say he got shut down by an NBA team, as that has prestige value. This means that other teams will likely NOT draft him, since he left them in the dark in the predraft process; In exchange, the team will draft him in one of their slots.
It is NOT a legal state or CBA rule, just the name given for an excuse why a prospect has shut down workouts. Say, “Jerry West gave him a promise so we don’t know for sure what he is like. Draft the guy we know instead”.
I doubt this has been challenged in a lawsuit or how a judge might rule if it was. The next CBA should include language for this, to give promised prospects appropriate rights.
Barton did not lie, but does mislead. He has a documentary coming out, per the Post, and could use such an allegation to help sell it.
I am not looking forward to this doc… Barton is not especially solid mentally. Probably he just reviews & figuratively spanks everyone who did not celebrate him. I quit the podcast early.