Vasilije Micic Proving His Worth Off the Bench
It took some time, but the Vasilije Micic signing finally seems to be paying off. The European point guard has his legs under him and has adjusted to the pace of the NBA.
He wasn't able to contribute early on in the season and received his fair share of DNPs, but he seems to understand what he brings to the floor for this young Thunder team. He hasn't been a dynamic scorer or a volume shooter but is running the offense through pick-and-rolls and no-look passes.
Micic has played quite a bit over the last half month and specifically contributed heavily over the last two games. Against Miami, he had one of his most efficient outings of the season and didn't need to do much. Micic played 14 minutes and chipped in four points on 2-of-2 shooting, five assists, one steal and zero turnovers.
In his last eight appearances, he has recorded 28 assists and two turnovers.
Oklahoma City's offense has been humming over the last two weeks and Micic has found a way to thrive in limited minutes. As he develops more chemistry with the team, his minutes and usage should increase.
The way he's finding cutters on the floor and getting the front court involved is helping the Thunder's offense tremendously. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes to the bench, it's important to have a guard that can get others involved.
As Jalen Williams' evolution continues and he develops his passing, the Thunder could have two elite passers on the floor in non-Shai minutes.
Micic doesn't have to be an All-Star for the Thunder like he was in the Euroleague, but finding a way to impact the offense will be his calling card. The early returns in consistent playing time have been positive.
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