Boston Celtics Trade A Unique Opportunity For Nikola Vucevic, Which Includes 'Re-wiring My Brain'

BOSTON — Nikola Vucevic is starting over.

He’s 15 years into his NBA career and he’s never won a playoff series. He’s been on two winning teams, the most successful of which won 46 games.

This is unfamiliar territory to say the least.

“I look at it as it motivates me to try to get to a higher level,” Vucevic said at his introductory press conference at the Celtics practice facility. “I am 35 but I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank and can still play at a high level. So having an opportunity to play in the playoffs and play for something big, I think it’s extra motivation for everybody. I’m just excited to have the opportunity. I never really had it in my career. It’s something I do wish happened sooner but it happens now and so I’m gonna try to make the best of it and be the best version I can of myself and help the team.”

The Celtics acquired Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Anfernee Simons, whose short-lived Boston career was filled with enough highs that losing him was tough. Simons was popular in the locker room, and he picked up a lot of slack for a team with little margin for error. But looking forward, the Celtics didn’t like how the team was balanced.

“When Vuc walks into the room, it looks different,” Brad Stevens said. “He’s big and long and strong, and can be standing next to anybody in this league and not look small … Those guys aren't just around all the time to just add to the team late July or August."

The Celtics now have another big who can reliably step out to the three-point line as well as score inside. He is a different player than Al Horford, but the offensive fit means he’ll be asked to do similar things.

“With my skill set, I think I'm going to be able to fit in pretty, pretty well with the way they want to play, with the way we want to run our offense,” Vucevic said. “A lot of it is read-based, which I think will be good for me. Obviously, the talent is here, and that’ll help me as well and make my job a lot easier. But so far from all this stuff, what I’ve watched, playing against the Celtics over the years and here the last two days, the offense I went through and worked on, I think, it’s things that I will pick up on pretty quick.”

Vucevic, who will wear the number four for the Celtics, will come off the bench when he debuts Friday night against Miami. It’s unclear if that's what Joe Mazzulla will ask of him long-term.

“He told me to be flexible, so I imagine maybe some games I start and some games I don’t,” Vucevic said. “But I’m fine either way with it. It’s not a big deal to me if I start or not or come off the bench. However I can help the team best, that’s what I’m willing to do.”

Part of that willingness is a 35-year-old understanding he now has a chance to accomplish something special. The other part of that is the relationship with Mazzulla, which will be critical. The first impression has been a good one.

“I like that he’s very straightforward,” Vucevic said. “I like his approach. The film session we had today, I could tell he likes to joke around and also be serious when it comes to work. I like that mix. So first impression is very positive.”

The transition to a new team and new city is never an easy one. On the court, Vucevic understands his role will change, and that it will take a little bit of time.

“The way Chicago plays and the way we play here now in Boston, it’s pretty different,” Vucevic said. “Once I get on the court, I get playing, I start to get a feel for everybody and they start to get a feel for me, it’ll be fine, but just kind of rewiring my brain. Just some of the stuff that they wanted me to do in Chicago, that I was used to doing for the last five years, some of it is different here. You just have to break certain habits and adjust to new ones.”

That's something time and coaching will minimize. Along the way, Vucevic will be soaking up an environment he’s looking forward to playing in. He called Boston one of the best cities in the NBA, and recognized how people are proud to be from here, and you can tell that during games.

“It's a very unique opportunity for me. I didn't expect it to happen,” he said. “I always enjoyed playing here against the Celtics and at TD Garden. Great fans. The uniqueness is that they just respect the game a lot, and obviously they cheer for the Celtics, but they respect the opponent as well … I'm very happy, and I'm just gonna try to do the best I can to help the team.”