Nikola Vucevic is a 13-year NBA veteran from Switzerland, which means he played in FIBA He has enough competition to know exactly what he is talking about when he compares the two leagues. Recently, he spoke to an international media outlet called Meridian Sport and gave an interview discuss these differencesamong others, after the Night of the Dragon event at the Stozice Arena in Slovenia.
During the conversation, Vucevic talked about the uniqueness of San Antonio Spurs franchise player Victor Wembanyama, saying he’s “going to change the game in some way.” He then went on to explain how difficult it is to score on the 7’4″ xenomorph replica, but the most fascinating part came earlier in the article when he wasn’t necessarily referring to Vic, though his words still applied to the new second-year player.
“If NBA rules were applied, it would be much more difficult for FIBA teams. First of all, the three-point line in the NBA is half a meter further away, which is not nothing in basketball. The three seconds on defense are also an important factor, I know this from experience.” – Nikola Vucevic
During the Olympics, one common factor that was brought up by fans of both teams was that the referees were bad. The referees weren’t perfect and never are, but the difference in the refereeing is clear, as there is less emphasis on fouls. This allows players to be more physical on defense, and for someone with such a small frame, this can be more disruptive. But that’s not all.
The court is bigger in the NBA, and spacing is key to this generation’s style of basketball. Wemby wants to be bold with his hand at times. He wants to use his size to get the better of his defenders and his reach to get past a contest or potential steal. It’s a little harder when you don’t have the same amount of space to work with.
Then there’s the three-second defensive rule. You’d think its inclusion in FIBA would be a plus for Victor, and it is, but the door opens both ways. Due to its size and skillsDefenses are keen to keep him out of the paint and will do whatever they can to achieve their goal.
Wembanyama is such a special defender that he doesn’t need this rule to impact the game on a generational level, but imagine if the rest of the NBA didn’t have to adhere to it. With the elite athleticism that already exists in the best league in the world, scoring in the paint would be harder than chewing gum made of flubber.
So after an up-and-down summer in his first Olympic tournament, expect the reigning Rookie of the Year to step up considerably from what you saw the last time he stepped on the court. You know he works hard, and the NBA rules will help him continue to shine brighter than the Dune sun.
