Nikola Vučević delivered his most complete performance as a Celtic against a familiar opponent—his former team.
Heading into the All-Star break, Vuc ensured he left a lasting impression, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in a poised, controlled outing. It was a performance that reflected both rhythm and growing comfort within Boston’s system.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla noted postgame that Vuc “looked much more comfortable tonight,” elaborating on the specific elements that stood out to him.
Let’s break down those specifics from Mazzulla and the film that shows them.
The first thing coach mentioned was Vuc’s “pick-and-roll positioning defensively.” According to Mazzulla, it “was good, really good.” In my preview of what Vuc could potentially bring to Beantown, I noted that he has obvious defensive shortcomings, but that I didn’t see a player incapable of moving his feet and at least being neutral on that end. Tonight, Vuc consistently placed himself in the right spots, maintaining proper depth in coverage, containing the ball handler, and recovering efficiently to his assignment. His discipline in those moments prevented driving lanes from opening and disrupted the timing of the Bulls offense.
Here, he gets close to the level of the screen touching the screener for just a moment before sinking into drop coverage. While Payton Pritchard chases back into the play, Vuc positions himself perfectly in between the ball handler (Matas Buzelis) and the roller (Nick Richards) as Buzelis drives. Vuc stays patient and when Buzelis goes to the Pinoy step, he just puts his hands up and forces a miss.
Next, Richards shows impressive quickness, getting out of the screen faster than Vuc expected. After that, Vuc displays his own foot speed, swiftly backpedaling into proper positioning. This allows him to meet Rob Dillingham at the rim, forcing a low pass that is ultimately bobbled. Vuc then plays solid post defense leading to a miss and a Mazzulla clap of approval.
Vuc also did a nice job understanding what proper “pick-and-roll positioning defensively” meant for different players. Former Celtic Anfernee Simons is a much more dangerous three-point threat than his teammates, and the Celtics played him like it.
The last two clips we saw him playing drop coverage, but you see the difference in aggression here when Simons is the handler. Vuc being up so high takes away the pullup three which forces a drive. Simons ends up having to pass and a good contest by Hugo ends the possession
Vuc showing up near the arc again negates the threat of a pullup three and impedes Simon’s path. He then picks up his dribble and throws a turnover.
Vuc had more solid defensive possessions than just a few in this game.
Immediately after highlighting Vuc’s pick and roll defense, Mazzulla said, “Then offensively the reads were good,” and I totally agree. Since Vuc has been in green, his passing has really flashed. His ability to process the floor quickly, whether operating from the top of the key, short roll, or post, has added a connective element to the offense. His willingness to make the extra read has helped maintain rhythm within the half-court sets.
In fact, third-year wing Jordan Walsh has already expressed how much he enjoys playing alongside Vuc, a testament to the big man’s feel and unselfish approach.
“Like Vuc? I love playing with Vuc, it’s great. Every time he catches the ball I’m just cutting and he’s looking every time so it’s like great,” Walsh explained.
It’s easy to see why Walsh thinks this way to say the least.
Here Vuc’s unselfishness is rewarded. Derrick White rejects his screen forcing two on the ball starting perfect Mazzulla Ball. Walsh smartly cuts even before Vuc gets the ball to make the defender at the top of the key choose who to step to. Walsh doing that then creates another 2-on-1 with him and Jaylen Brown in the corner. Vuc hits Walsh on the cut and the ball just pops all the way back to the big man for the open three.
After setting the screen, Vuc kicks it out to Walsh for an open look, though the shot doesn’t fall. The possession stays alive, and when the ball finds him again, he immediately threads another pass to Walsh, this time setting him up for an and-one finish. These two seem like they like each other.
Next on the list is the “early offense reads,” Vuc seems to be understanding more, according to Mazzulla.
I’ve covered at length the screening actions that have fueled Boston’s early offense success this season, most notably their “Veer,” “Flare,” and “Wide” screens. Those concepts have become foundational to how the Celtics generate advantages before the defense knows what hits them.
Given the contrast in skillset and play style between Vuc and bigs like Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, I wondered if this aspect would take a hit when he joined.
Queta and Garza rank among the league’s most effective screeners, and unlike Vuc, their primary offensive responsibility is to generate advantages for others. Vuc has traditionally been a focal point scorer, so I was just curious of how he would blend his style with the style of our bigs. This game was the best I’ve seen that blend.
Here he starts the Wide action setting that screen for Brown allowing him to stop and pop for the midrange.
Then he sets the Veer for Brown, getting him a mismatch in the post and delivering it to him for a bucket. You can see the learning curve still being there as he was going to set the on-ball screen until White pointed him in the right direction.
All of those elements came together on multiple possessions as Vuc has some really good sequences.
Lastly, the spacing and scoring he provides really adds a new wrinkle to an already great offense. He shot 4/5 from three and drew four fouls due to switches.
Nikola Vucevic’s performance against his former team was more than just stats; it was a showcase of how he is evolving within the Celtics’ system. From disciplined pick-and-roll defense to court vision that elevates his teammates, Vuc demonstrated a seamless balance between his natural scoring ability and the team-oriented style that Boston demands from its bigs.
The chemistry he’s already building with teammates hints at the kind of impact he can have as Boston pushes forward after the All-Star break.
