LOS ANGELES – High above the University of Southern California basketball practice court, a place where Nikola Vucevic used to hone his skills and dream about playing in the NBA, hangs a banner showing a baby-faced big man backing down a foe in the post.
That banner is one of several in the gymnasium highlighting some of the great players who played collegiately for the Trojans and went on to reach the NBA. Each time Vucevic and his Orlando Magic return to the facility to practice prior to games against either the Los Angeles Lakers or Clippers, the center originally from Montenegro takes time out to peer up at that banner and almost always he’s hit with a flood of memories from his time at USC.
Asked what advice a now 28-year-old Vucevic would give the trimmer and clean-shaven kid in the banner, the Magic center had an interesting perspective that the benefit of time has provided him.
``I should have taken school more seriously. I did OK, but I’m wishing I had put a little more into it,’’ Vucevic said. ``I did leave early (for the NBA), but if I would have taken (school work) more seriously it would have made it easier to go back and graduate. It’s not necessarily a regret, but it is something I wish I would have done differently because having a (degree) from a big university like USC would have been so good. Maybe I do finish when I find some time.’’
In addition to being back on campus for the Magic’s practice on Saturday, Vucevic attended USC’s rivalry game against Notre Dame at the LA Coliseum. USC gave Vucevic a field pass for the game and he looked on as his Trojans – a young team in a rebuilding season – lost to Notre Dame, 24-17.
Vucevic’s teammate, reserve guard Jerian Grant, also attended the game because of his ties to Notre Dame. He sat in the stands and marveled at the size of the LA Coliseum and the size of the Notre Dame fanbase who traveled to attend the game. Grant said he and Vucevic had a friendly wager on the game and he expects the big man to soon pay up.
``His school is struggling and we’re heading to the playoffs,’’ said Grant, who played basketball at Notre Dame from 2011-15. ``Yeah, (Vucevic) owes me a little bit.’’
ISAAC IS IMPRESSIVE: When head coach Steve Clifford watches game film with his Magic squad, he can usually find many areas that need improvement and demand a critique. However, Clifford said he rarely finds himself questioning the decision-making of second-year forward Jonathan Isaac and the coach recently admitted that ``everything just makes sense when he’s on the floor.’’
Isaac is young, both in actual age and NBA playing experience, but Clifford said that the 21-year-old forward has the maturity of a player well beyond his years. Needless to say, the coach is looking forward to the time when Isaac – who is still working his way back from an ankle injury – has his minutes restriction lifted and he can return to the starting lineup.
``You just watch him – when he’s open, he shoots it and when he’s not, he moves it. Not all guys play like that,’’ Clifford said. ``And on the defensive end, when a guy is beaten cleanly, he helps. When he doesn’t need to help, he doesn’t help. When you watch him, you don’t say, `Why would you do that?’ You say, `That was a smart play.’ You don’t teach that stuff. That’s just basketball IQ and feel for the game and those are a couple of his really exceptional traits.’’
Since he returned from an ankle injury that shelved him for six games, Isaac has played 16, 16, 20, 24 and 21 minutes in the five games prior to Sunday. Clifford said that Isaac’s minutes restriction likely won’t come off until Wednesday when the Magic play in Portland. That moment can’t come soon enough because of all the positives that the big man brings when in the lineup, Clifford said.
``He just has a natural feel for how to play and his decision-making and feel for the game are good,’’ Clifford said. ``Obviously, he’s got quickness and size, but he’s very studious and knows what we’re doing in terms of game plans and things like that.
``Again, you can never have too many guys who are easy to play with. He plays in a manner that helps his teammates play better.’’
PRIMETIME IN EUROPE: While Sunday’s start time for the game between the Magic and Lakers – 3:30 p.m. on the East Coast and 12:30 p.m. on the West Coast – might have been odd to some, it makes perfect sense to the NBA and their efforts to grow the game in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Sunday’s start time was devised so that it fell in Europe’s prime-time television window. It was the sixth of 42 such Saturday/Sunday NBA games this season started at times with European, African and Middle Eastern television viewers in mind. Later in the season, the NBA will also feature games on five consecutive Sundays that start in primetime for viewers in India.
In all, NBA programming and games are seen in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages.
UP NEXT: The Magic will be back in action on Monday night when they will get their first look this season at the Golden State Warriors, champions of the past two seasons. Golden State struggled in recent weeks, dropping four consecutive games for the first time since Steve Kerr became coach.
The Warriors have already ruled two-time MVP, Stephen Curry, out for Monday’s game as he continues his rehabilitation from a groin strain.
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.
