By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Since Vasilije Micic joined the Charlotte Hornets team, they won five out of six games with the Serbian point guard in the squad.
The last victory came against the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, with the former EuroLeague MVP playing 24 minutes, scoring 11 points, with seven assists, two rebounds, and two steals on 5-6 field goal shooting. Head coach Steve Clifford was more than satisfied with what Micic brought to the table early on.
“The guys that came were here for six days, we played three games, then they went home, they are moving… They got a lot going on and just need to get back to the right intensity and concentration. It’s a little bit different for those guys. He’s a talented player. His awareness and feel for the game are really exceptional. There’s still newness to us. The more organized we get offensively, the better he’ll play,” Clifford said.
He emphasized the importance of Micic having a successful career in Europe before jumping to the NBA, winning two EuroLeague Final Four MVPs in a row (2021, 2022), along with EuroLeague MVP in 2021.
“His IQ, awareness, vision… He was MVP in Europe two years in a row. To do that from that position shows a lot. He’s big, he can pass, he can shoot, smart, good pick-and-roll player,” Charlotte Hornets‘ head coach concluded.
Since arriving at the Hornets, Micic has been playing 10 more minutes on average than in the Oklahoma City Thunder, producing 9.7 points and six assists per game.