Chicago Bulls unlock the best version of Nikola Vučević by playing to the center’s strengths: ‘I’m finding my spots’

For Chicago Bulls fans who tuned out during the low points of this 21-24 season, the recent rise of Nikola Vučević might come as a surprise.

The two-time All-Star is riding 10 consecutive double-doubles, earning a chorus of “Voooooch” chants during the streak that has included an overtime-clinching 3-pointer and career-high-tying 43-point night. He had 16 points and 15 rebounds Thursday in the Bulls’ 126-108 victory against the Detroit Pistons in Paris.

In the span of a year, Vučević has quietly grown from a source of grumbling among fans to a reliable leader on the boards and in the paint. (Albeit the grumbling remains, particularly as the Feb. 9 trade deadline nears.)

How have the Bulls unlocked this version of Vučević? Mostly by following a simple formula: letting the center play to his strengths.

“I’m finding my spots,” Vučević said. “I’m playing in a way that really fits my game. When I get in my spots and when I am able to play within my strengths, I feel like I’m a very efficient player. It’s not the first time I’ve done this, so I know I can do it.”

A cursory glance at the stat sheet might make it seem as if this is the same old Vučević. His averages — 17.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists — are still markedly lower than in his years as the cornerstone of the Orlando Magic offense and are nearly identical to last season.

But the real improvement isn’t in Vučević’s production — it’s his efficiency. Despite taking fewer shots, Vučević is shooting a career-high 52.1% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range. During his 10-game double-double streak, Vučević is averaging 19 points on 52.7% shooting.

In his first 18 months in Chicago, it was easy to see that Vučević was affected by a certain level of uncertainty. The 2021-22 season was full of shooting streaks and skids as he found his confidence, then lost it, then found it again.

During his offseason at home in Montenegro, Vučević focused on his shot. As a 12-year NBA veteran, he knew there was nothing wrong with the mechanics of his technique, but Vučević returned to the basics to regain the natural rhythm of his shooting form.

When Donovan visited Vučević at home in the offseason, he noted the effort Vučević was putting in to hone the details that often were lost in his early adjustment to the Bulls.

“Last year was an adjustment period,” Donovan said. “He’s a really bright player and he’s been in the league for a long time. He’s a veteran, so he can figure things out. Going through what he went through last year, he had an understanding of what we were going to try to do this year and how we were going to try to use him.”

Vučević still shows flashes of emotion on the court — Bulls supporters will be slow to forget when he flipped off an opposing team’s fan in the stands in November — but it’s clear he has found a firmer foundation on the court.

Although Vučević is a strong 3-point shooter for a center, he’s quick to emphasize that the 3-point shot is not the crux of his game. The Bulls have listened to that message fervently, exchanging isolated looks on the perimeter for higher-probability shots in and around the paint.

Coming into this season, the Bulls knew they needed to eliminate the plays that stymied Vučević the most — specifically isolation plays that left him sitting in the corner, waiting for an outlet pass for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer that he wasn’t comfortable taking or making.

Vučević is a facilitator he thrives the most when he’s fully involved in a play, even if he isn’t taking or assisting the shot at the end of it. The Bulls have been more consistent in slotting Vučević into the pocket — the space around the elbows of the free-throw line — to create opportunities to pass or shoot. This keeps Vučević involved in plays and constantly moving, which allows him to pick his shots more critically and affect the offense even when he doesn’t have an opening to score.

The result is clear — a more reliable, resilient version of Vučević.