The Nikola poll. Where do you stand?

[MagicStarwipe]

Pretty simple one. I've seen enough people with varying opinions on this subject this season to where I think it would be interesting to set up a poll to get a good gauge of where the board is leaning. Is Nikola Vucevic the answer for this team at the centre position going forward? Can we be a legit contender with him starting at C? Go.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Yes, unless there is a way to get better then you trade him. Despite the unwarranted hate he gets he's a very skilled player. Perfect timing by the way. Everyone is kinda soured on Vooch since we're losing so you'll probably get the results you're looking for.

[j-ragg]

No. He's soft and has even regressed to a new level of soft this year.

Historically he might take the lowest amount of free throws for field goals attempted.

I like him for what he is. A good jump shooting big man who is good near the hoop but I find he rarely wants the ball down there anymore.

[Jiwol]

It all depends. Vuc could be a very good 3rd option on a contending team, operating mostly under the basket to cut down on long 2's. Of course some defensive big next to him would be nice. I voted YES though.

[KillMonger]

If you can get someone who is definitively better then yeah if we can't then suck it up and make it work but when you look at the landscape at the C position who's out there?

[OrlChamps2030]

Ideally you would use Vuc and Fournier(or Harris) to get more firepower on the wings/PF while getting a role playing C like Ezeli, Zaza, or Mahimni to man the C position. Whiteside would be awesome but is a pipedream. Getting a straight upgrade at C would be nice but the opportunity cost is too high when you could just consolidate those assets to fill other needs and grab a more traditional role-playing center that probably has lesser value.

Vuc is skilled. In terms of talent he is probably a top 15 center, maybe even somewhere in the 10-15 range, but he is just too flawed to build around. Porzingis and Ibaka aint walking through those doors. He is just too soft and not being able to draw fouls is a huge hit for a guy who is supposed to be offensive minded.

Unless a guy has star potential I don't think you can declare him as the "future".

[UCFJayBird]

Yes. The only thing I wish he did more was get to the FT line. Otherwise I think he's a fantastic player and a great piece to build around.

Do I think he's our #1 option going forward? No. i think he would be better suited as #2 or #3 option. Unfortunately right now we have a lot of players that are in that same 2-3 area (Harris, Oladipo, even Fournier is in the 3rd option area). I think Gordon, Mario, and Elf could all develop into solid 2-3 options. Will that all eventually make up for the fact we don't have a #1? Maybe, tough to say. Then again maybe Mario will eventually turned into a #1 option, but tough to tell this early in his career (same for Gordon).

[NBlue]

I would agree with the sentiment here. The problem is we are essentially using Vooch as our #1 option. This is the issue -- a #1 option he is not. However, I think he is a very skilled big and we are lucky to have him. He is still only 25 years old and he is on a very team friendly contract through 2018. Definitely want to keep him as our center.

[rcklsscognition]

I voted no, but only before I realized this wasn't a poll asking if Paul Porter should be calling him Nikola instead of Nik on the PA.

[FloridaHoosier]

I don't want them to trade him, I want them to get a big to play along side him and help!

[Blue_and_Whte]

Vooch is cursed with paying next to weak defenders at the 3 and 4. You get a big we can funnel opposing teams towards and we're good. He's a finesse scorer but still a glass eater and on a friendly deal.

[EAS Law]

I voted yes. Who else out there is available and better? Vuc has limitations just like a majority of players. He may not be a superstar, but he's proven then he can very well be an all star. (Though not named to an AS team)

We just all need to be patient. Remember where we were last season this time. We're on a big slide, but we're learning. We may still make the POs. Not time to jump ship or give up on the season.

[CZ Eddie]

Put a quick moving, defensive minded four next to Nikola and we'll be fine.
Nikola is still young and this is his first year with Skiles. Give him a little more time.

[zelenooq]

he just need AG as PF

[Magic_Johnny12]

Future of this team at the center position? Sure. He has good character and wouldn't mind him around with the understanding of his role.

Starting? Nah, I'm good.

First big off the bench? I'm all for it!

Logic - He's on a great contract considering the new cap spike and soon enough quality back up centers will be getting paid what Vuc is getting paid. Balance and depth is obviously important to Skiles and his system so it will be a no brainer if we can trade for/acquire a quality defensive big.

Suggestions w/o breaking the bank that could help us immediately and produce - Noah/Gasol/Ezeli/Hibbert/Mahinmi/Powell

Breaking the bank options - Horford/Whiteside

Unrealistic options - Cousins/M Gasol/Howard

[MagicMadness]

The bottom line is that Vucevic is not a superstar, thus he is expendable.

He can certainly remain our center now and into the future, but he will always be a contributing piece to a contender, not the reason a team is one. The same can be said about any of our core.

Unfortunately, to become a contender likely means losing one or more of our core pieces in exchange for a superstar. That's why it's difficult to single out Vucevic or any other player as being vital to this team's future.

[Jameerthefear]

If he's a starter on this team this team isn't going very far. You can't win with a bad defender in the 5 spot. Not in today's NBA. He's not even really good enough offensively to justify his bad defense either. Too many flaws in his offensive game. He isn't Dirk and fans have to realize that.

[Magic_Johnny12]

For conversation purposes I would trade Vuc for Portlands unprotected 1st this year plus Ed Davis or Plumlee or to NOP w/ Fournier for their unprotected pick this year plus Ajinca and salary fillers.

[ORL_on_FIRE]

Yes, I think we can move forward with Vuc as the center. He's improved every season.. Especially his offensive game.

Like I've said before he's pretty much all of our offense and that's not his fault. Other guys can't hit open shots majority of the time so we rely on Vuc.

[ezzzp]

In the 2016-17 season, the NBA salary cap will be around $95m and Vucevic will earn $12m. That is a little over 12% of the Magic salary cap. For context, 12% of the Magic cap now ($70m) equals $8.4m...which is a little over what 32 year old Channing Frye makes and half of what Tobias Harris makes.

...because the cap will dramatically go up again in 2017-18 (to $110m) Vuc's cost becomes even less. So any questions about his future with the Magic have to take his contract as context.