By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After dominating Europe, Vasilije Micic turned to the NBA last summer, but the first few months weren’t great for the Serbian point guard. He rarely played for the Oklahoma City Thunder despite signing a three-year deal with the team.
However, his fortunes changed in February when he ended up with the Charlotte Hornets. Immediately, the former EuroLeague MVP got much more playing time and a proper chance to prove himself, and he grabbed it with both hands.
After averaging just 3.3 points and 2.5 assists in 12 minutes per game in 30 appearances for Oklahoma, Micic is now averaging 11.8 points and 6.5 assists in 28.5 minutes of play while donning the Hornets jersey.
“I’m more comfortable every day. I’m a little bit sad that we have only a few games left, but I see every game as a final for myself, just in terms of how I want to prove myself to myself and to the people who gave me the opportunity, including the coach, the staff, and everyone on the team. I’m trying to play more relaxed, at my own rhythm, without chasing anything. It’s hard when you don’t have enough minutes, but at this moment, with these circumstances, I have these minutes, and I’m just hoping it looks good from the outside,” Micic said after his 26th game for Charlotte, with only four left to play in the 2023/24 season, as the Hornets won’t be part of the postseason.
Vasa had Aleksej Pokusevski and Dairis Bertans as fellow Europeans alongside him, but he also established a great connection with the big guys. He spoke about linking up with Nick Richards and Grant Williams.
“I never specifically chose any player; that sometimes seems that way. Even when I played in Europe, they said I had a great connection with some of the big guys, but I just played to find the right guy in the right spot. He’s super athletic and capable of running fast with his size. I haven’t played with such an athletic big guy for many years, so I’ve gotten used to pocket passes around the bigs, so I’m trying to learn to play with him. He and Grant are two different bigs; we can use them differently. Trea and I try to use him for low passes and his athleticism,” Micic concluded.
The overall feeling is that the Serbian point guard showed there’s definitely a place for him in the NBA. He’s nearing the end of the first year of his three-year, $23,555,150 deal, which includes a third-year team option.
It remains to be seen whether his future remains with the Charlotte Hornets. Steve Clifford is leaving his head coaching position to join the front office, and Sacramento Kings G League coach Lindsey Harding will interview for the head coaching job, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
Additionally, ESPN reported that the search for a new head coach already includes receiving permission to interview Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, and Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young.