Orlando Magic will go only as far as Nikola Vucevic demands

The Orlando Magic are eager to see their young players take charge. But a return to the playoffs depends on Nikola Vucevic elevating his game again.

Nikola Vucevic’s stat lines at the FIBA World Cup were fairly meager. They hardly looked like that f an All-Sar player. Indeed, Nikola Vucevic’s play was sometimes reminiscent of a new player trying to fit in rather than an All-Star recognizing he is the best talent on the team.

He averaged a team-high 14.6 points and second-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Solid numbers, but hardly anything to stand out. He made sure to let everyone get involved and played within the system.

There have been times when he has taken over and defenses have definitely…