NBA 2018-19: 4 Players who could make an All-Star appearance from the Southeast Division
The Southeast division is home to the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Atlanta Hawks. This just might not be the most competitive divisions to talk about right now but it sure does house some of the best talents the league has to offer this year.
Currently, only two teams(Charlotte Hornets & Orlando Magic) lie in the playoff contention window, placed at the 6th & 8th spots respectively.
Looking at the way things are panning out right now in the league, it would be apt to squeeze in a bunch of predictions for the All-Star game this season. For this piece, we'd keep our focus localised to the above mentioned Southeast division only.
#4 Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
Born in Morges, Switzerland and then raised primarily in Belgium, Nikola Vucevic is a perfect embodiment of the modern day NBA big man. He can hit three-point shots, operate skillfully in the post and showcase passing ability and skill level that creates space for his teammates.
For carrying a 7-foot figure around, he is shooting 58% from the field and an impressive 39% from the deep. And the reason it took him a while to get acquainted with the trending long-range shot is as follows.
“The past summer, I played for the national team, so it was harder to find time to practice them,” Vucevic tells me. “This summer, I practiced them a lot more. The goal was to make it feel like it was just a regular shot.”
Looking at it from a positive perspective, Nikola is a more complete player now than he ever was. His imposing all-around averages so far in the season make him a "nightmare to match up with"(in Luke Walton's words), considering the versatility his offensive prowess carries.
Vucevic is the one of the few in the league right now averaging a double-double on the season. He is dropping 20.8 points and pulling down 11.3 boards on an average this year.