Josh Robbins got some really candid quotes from Nik Vucevic, echoing sentiments of many people who follow this team. And I think you’ll find this equal parts frustrating – because everything he says is right – and refreshing to hear that the same frustration you feel as a fan, is felt by the players.
“We had something going, and then the last two seasons have been a step backwards, which for me personally makes it the hardest [time] because every year I was here we got better and had more and more wins,” Vucevic said. “And the year with Scott Skiles, we really made a big jump. …
“Now we’re kind of stuck,” Vucevic continued. “It’s hard to see what we can do to get better. I always felt like before we had so many young pieces. We were going to grow together. We were going to get somewhere. A lot of times that happens: When you have young pieces you’re able to maybe trade one for a couple of good veterans or something. But the moves we made didn’t really work out for us. You look at Vic, Tobias — where they’re at, how they’re playing. It’s just very tough to deal with all that when you think about where we could be and where we’re at. It’s just very hard to deal with all that. It takes a very big toll mentally on you, especially for me. I’ve been here for so long. The last two seasons have been the very hardest for me and I’ve had a hard time dealing with all this.”
So this is my question to you Magic fans, what has been the most frustrating part of the last 6 years? What is it that makes you want to pull your hair out, as someone who just wants to support the local team and be entertained?
Bad draft luck, ill-advised trades, poor coaching, or lack of player development?