Vucevic just glad to be back
After missing 7 games because of COVID protocols, big man returns against Rockets
HOUSTON — The possibility crossed his mind, but Bulls center Nikola Vucevic also was betting on the science.
It was a bet he lost.
When Vucevic heard that 76ers standout Joel Embiid had tested positive for the coronavirus after battling in the paint with him in back-to-back games three weeks ago, he knew the protocols would force him into daily testing.
He didn’t know he would be missing seven games because of it.
“There have been other people throughout this whole pandemic that I’ve known that were positive and I was around them and I didn’t get it, so I just don’t think there’s any rules on how you can get it or how it works,’’ Vucevic said. “[Embiid] got it, and obviously I was hoping I didn’t get it, but we knew it was a possibility because I was getting tested every day for it since he got it, and one of my tests showed up positive. That’s the assumption, that I got it from him, but we don’t know for sure.’’
Vucevic missed a lot of key moments with his Bulls teammates and was glad to be back in the mix against the Rockets for the showdown Wednesday.
Vucevic also returned to his starting role, even on a minutes watch.
He had worked out the last few days since being cleared, so he had pushed his conditioning somewhat, and it helped that his symptoms were very mild, almost cold-like.
The Bulls went 4-3 in his absence during a very difficult part of the schedule, and it was admittedly difficult for Vucevic to be sitting in isolation in Chicago, especially in games in which the Bulls’ smaller Bulls lineup was dominated on the boards, such as the loss Monday to the Pacers.
“You never want to miss time as a player, especially for us in this situation — this new team — and we’ve started off well, and then we go on a West Coast trip, a big trip for us,’’ Vucevic said. “You want to continue to build the chemistry, continue to improve as a team, and you want to be a part of it. And for me to miss it and stay home in Chicago, it really stunk, but it’s just part of it.
“Unfortunately, that’s the world we’re living in right now, so you have to accept it and move on. They did a great job and played really well in my absence, and hopefully I can get back to playing well soon and help the team win.’’
Before testing positive for the virus, Vucevic was struggling with his shooting consistency, especially from three-point range, but he was a force on the boards, as well as playing some solid defense at the rim.
His return, however, was more than just rebounds and size in the paint.
Coach Billy Donovan made that very clear, discussing just how important his skills are, even on nights that his shot isn’t falling.
“I thought we were starting to play pretty well with him there, and I know for him it was a little bit rocky in the first part of the season with his shooting and trying to find and pick his spots, but I felt like we were playing pretty well [before he got sick],’’ Donovan said.
“Clearly there were times where I thought we had a little bit of a difficult time when we had Tony [Bradley] and Javonte [Green] there with ‘Vooch’ out, Tony and [Derrick Jones Jr.] there.
“Vooch’s strength is his skill for 7 feet. He’s got an incredible skill package.’’