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After averaging 17.6/11.0/3.2 for both 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, Nikola Vucevic is currently averaging 17.6/10.9/2.9 (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by MrStanko83@alien.top to c/nba@nba.space

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Talking about consistency lol. Have there ever been historically similar cases? It's insane how it's keeping the same numbers for more than 2 seasons.

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[–] Dunlocke@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Gonna take this opportunity to defend the trade, at least a little bit, for people who like to dunk on it.

When we made the trade in 2021 we were rudderless. Zach, our only asset, was showing a lot of promise and a threat to leave in FA, so we traded two firsts and a rotation player that wasn't going to move the needle to keep him and potentially add to it. Keep in mind we had a new coach/GM, rookie PAW, 2nd year Coby. We were a little under 500. With Vuc the pick was tracking to be in the ~15 range. Then COVID hit our team and we floundered, landing at 8. Tough break, but that's fine. It's rare to find value at 8 - we would know.

That trade got us Demar and Lonzo, we brought in Caruso, and we were playing WELL. Not a title contender, but a team that could easily make the ECF. Then Lonzo gets hurt, Pat doesn't develop, Donovan sucks, and the rest is history. Magic got the 11 pick in 2023 to complete the trade.

So two picks that, if we'd stay healthy, would've been 15 and ~20+, became 8 and 11, which rarely become special anyway. Magic got a guy that looks like a future all star. Happy for them!

We still got Vuc though, and he's a top 10 center, but obviously we were hoping for a little more.

C'est la vie, you shoot your shot.