New York Knicks have been ahead of the curve by taking part in a series of offseason workouts. The architect behind them: Sasha Vujacic.
Outside of Carmelo Anthony winning an Olympic gold medal, the most intriguing moments of the summer of 2016 have been the New York Knicks’ offseason workouts. The likes of Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose have all trained with their new teammates.
If you were wondering why the Knicks re-signed Sasha Vujacic, then the latest revelation should be all the information you need.
Vujacic is coming off of a season during which he averaged 4.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 14.9 minutes. He shot just 38.9 percent from the field, which caused many to question why Phil Jackson would bring him back.
According to Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv and theKnicksBlog, it’s Vujacic who has been organizing many of the offseason workouts between his new Knicks teammates.
“The guys came in [two weeks ago]. Sasha’s been one of my clients for many years, back when he was a Laker. He actually set the whole thing up,” Gameshape Inc.’s Robbie Davis said. “A lot of the guys spent a lot of time in Los Angeles this summer, so they we were working out together.”
“Sasha went up and worked out with Derrick Rose’s skills guy for a couple days. On Friday, they worked out with me. That following Saturday, Sasha and I went out to Malibu to work with Joakim and one of his guys,” Davis said of the group’s training. “We all got together, worked out, and hung out. It’s a nice way for them to get to know each other and bond.”
Vujacic is a nine-year NBA veteran who has been playing professional basketball since 2001. Between his European career and his time in the Association, he’s gained invaluable experience as a team player and locker room leader.
That includes the time he spent as a player for Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers, during which he won a pair of NBA championships.
Regardless of what Vujacic does or doesn’t provide on the court, he’s a valuable member of the locker room. As evidenced by his organizing offseason workouts, he understands the importance of building team chemistry and staying in game shape.
When he does take the court, Vujacic is reliable for pesky defense and efficient 3-point shooting.
With Courtney Lee starting at shooting guard and Justin Holiday slotted as the projected backup, it’s a testament to Vujacic’s leadership that he re-signed. He could’ve gone back overseas and received significantly more playing time.
Instead, he’s committed to helping Jackson build a championship-caliber team in New York.
If you weren’t sure of Vujacic’s value to the team before, you should feel confident now.
Malcolm@ 9/9/2016 5:15 PM
Hmmmm. Just came across this odd little piece, too:
Sasha is one of the intangibles guys on this roster. Some players just bring an approach to the game that can spread to his teammates. When Sasha comes into the game he picks up the pace and energy and with the right players that can have an impact. He can do the same in practice, which is a good thing. Overall he's a good positive element to have on your team IMO.
mreinman@ 9/9/2016 5:32 PM
triangle boy
CrushAlot@ 9/10/2016 11:24 AM
Malcolm wrote:Hmmmm. Just came across this odd little piece, too:
that made me laugh as well. Overall, really dumb experiment. I would have given him a ball half the size with a rim half the size and lowered the rim. That would have been a much better experiment but they where so excited to make shaq hands that they chose to take the stupid route and wasted a good premise.
