Nikola Vucevic – Andre Drummond, from adversity to camaraderie

One evening in November 2018the Pistons won on the Magic floor thanks to a Andrew Drummond in very good form (23 points and 19 rebounds). Faced with him that evening, Nikola Vucevicthe pivot from Orlando, who did not weigh as heavy as him (14 points and 9 rebounds).

Five years after this meeting, and after a number of battles fought in the racket between the two interiors of the East, they wear the same jersey, that of the Bulls. And these beautiful battles of the time, the current replacement pivot of the Bulls has not forgotten them.

“ Defending on Vooch was always nice because he was kind of a black sheep back then “, begins by ironically ironizing the former Pistons pivotwho adds: “ He was one of the rare big guys to shoot outside, 3-pointers and mid-range. I loved playing against him because I had to prepare differently, knowing he wasn't a traditional insider who cuts to the rim. So I had to master the pick-and-roll to get back in front of him, because his success percentage is high. »

His Montenegrin counterpart remembers “ very difficult duels, especially when it comes to offensive rebounds. It was difficult to keep him away. […] When he got the ball in the paint, there wasn't much he could do. Later, he improved in facing and attacking off the dribble. We had to play very physical against him. I had my way of attacking him from the other side of the field. But defensively it was difficult. »

The kings of the double-double

At the time, the Detroit pivot was in his prime, with two All-Star selections in previous years. Where Nikola Vucevic was preparing, that year, to receive his first invitation to the All-Star game. Since then, the curves have largely reversed since the first city, confined to a joker role for several seasons, is the replacement for the second.

Since playing together in Chicago, they have had time to learn more about each other. “ I always wondered what he was like off the field. He's a great guy. From day one, we got really close, we have a very good relationship off the field “, describes Evan Fournier's former teammate, who describes his counterpart as ” very positive », whose ability to produce double-doubles despite limited playing time he admires.

“ I try to do it every time I step on the floor. I know my impact is felt when I do these kinds of things. So I always try to get at least 10 and 10, whether I play a lot or a little », replies Drummond who also describes a good relationship between the two men.

These latter are the pivots still active with the highest number of double-doubles in his career (484 for Vucevic, 463 for Drummond). All positions combined, only LeBron James, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook do better than them in this area (as well as Kevin Love, just ahead of Drummond).