MY FANTASY BASKETBALL MVP IS NOW A BOSTON CELTIC

I am a Boston Celtics fan.

But I also believe that Nikola Vucevic is my Fantasy Basketball MVP.

I have been using Vooch on my teams since the mid-to-late 2010s, and I even have a small box full of his autographs and numbered cards. I am also a Chicago Bulls fan, especially because of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. But even beyond the Michael Jordan era, I spent time rooting for Dem Bulls. I will never root against Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah, especially when they wore the red and black jerseys.

Notice that I put the “and” on Noah instead of D-Rose?

Yup, I am a huge Joakim Noah fan dating back to his time with the Florida Gators.

And then there’s Vooch. While I wanted him to stay in Orlando, he still managed to put up his numbers during his time in Chicago. So this trade works well for me. First up, I will never understand why teams continue to go small and forget the fact that most of them have an ace big man on the roster. When the Boston Celtics won their latest championship, they had Al Horford turning back time, Kristaps Porzingis being a key element when healthy, and Luke Kornet becoming a dependable guy when needed.

Vooch can be that player for Boston.

The thing about the Celtics is that while everyone thinks this is supposed to be a gap year with Jayson Tatum out for the season, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the team stepped up and got the team to where they are now. I also think Vucevic is underappreciated by the league because he has never played for a true contender. Vooch was part of the trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has since played for only two teams, the Orlando Magic and the Bulls. This is his chance to prove that a legit big man with his credentials can propel a team and extend its playoff run.

Finally, Boston is acquiring Vucevic on an expiring contract. As good as Neemias Queta has been for them, Vooch is a cut above him, even at 35 years of age. The dude can still punish players inside and stretch the defense with his range. And while, yes, the Celtics lost Anfernee Simons, I never really warmed up to him being a Celtic. Maybe it’s because I still wanted Jrue Holiday to be with the team. Whatever.

Anyway, despite my desire for Vooch to put up optimal fantasy basketball stats, I really want him to become the center the Boston Celtics need. If he walks next season, at least this is his chance to prove his worth in the playoffs. If he gets signed to another contract, I can see Boston having Vooch play alongside Tatum, Brown, and Derrick White.

Hopefully, this will be Vooch’s time to shine.