After being traded at the NBA trade deadline, Vasilije Micic made his debut for the Charlotte Hornets. Despite the updated Hornets roster and the team not having practiced or played together, they performed remarkably well, ending their 10-game losing streak with a victory over the Grizzlies.
Vasilije Micic Sets Career Highs
Many of the players put up a great performance, but Vasilije Micic shined the most as he set a new career high for points, assists, and minutes played.
Here is what Micic had to say about the game in his post-game interview:
Vasilije Micic’s stats for the 26 minutes he played were 18 points and nine assists while shooting 61.5% from the field.
Check out his in-game highlights here:
Why Fans Should Keep An Eye Out For Vasilije Micic?
Vasilije Micic is a 30-year-old basketball veteran from Serbia, but it is his first season playing in the NBA. He has never been known as an NBA basketball player. However, he is a renowned and successful player in the Euroleague, and he has a resume to back it up.
In 2021 and 2022, Micic led Anadolu Efes Istanbul to consecutive Euroleague championships. He was also named the 2020-2021 Euroleague MVP and named the 2021 and 2022 EuroLeague Final Four MVP.
His success in the Euroleague caught the eye of many NBA teams who were looking to add him to their roster. This season, he earned his chance to showcase his talents in the NBA after signing with the OKC Thunder. However, he has not received much playing time this NBA season.
Overall, NBA teams had their eye on him during his time with the Euroleague. Now, it’s the fans’ turn to keep their eyes on him, as he will have more opportunities to shine in Charlotte. His debut with the Hornets is just a glimpse of what we could see from him.
Why Didn’t OKC Thunder Use Micic To His Full Potential?
OKC Thunder is one of the best teams in the NBA this season. They have one of the best players in the league in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They are one of the youngest teams this season and in league history.
The addition of Vasilije Micic gave them a veteran player who could bring a European playmaking style to the court and contribute to the team in a productive way.
Micic didn’t play a lot of games with OKC at the start of the season. However, they started to play him a bit more as the season progressed. Either way, his minutes per game remained pretty low.
At the end of the day, the Thunder’s roster is so talented that they didn’t really need Micic to step in a major way. He was just a role player and mentor to the team’s young core. He did what they needed him to do, and that was enough. Unfortunately, when there is so much talent on a team, it limits others’ potential to have breakout performances.
What Is Micic’s Ceiling In Charlotte?
It is always great to think the sky is the limit with any player, but everyone has a ceiling. It is hard to say what Micic’s ceiling will be in Charlotte and in the NBA in general.
When he first signed with the Thunder, many had expectations that he could become very successful with his European style of play. This is due to the fact that fellow Serbian and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic has had so much success with his European play style and mentality. Jokic is not the only European to be at the top of the NBA; Luka Doncic is one of the best in the league right now, and his dominance doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon.
With all that being said, no one should expect Micic to be at the level of Jokic or Luka. At worst, Micic will be a solid role-player who brings a fun and elegant play style to the court and can help his team win. At best, Micic will be able to put up a lot of numbers and help his team win more. Either way, it will be great to see him reach his ceiling and go beyond expectations.
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