“Fight on, Dribble on” is a weekly column by Joseph Domingot about how Trojans are performing in the NBA.
After another grueling 82-game schedule, the NBA regular season has now been completed. Despite 12 teams being eliminated thus far, some former Trojans have finished off the season with some stellar performances.
Chimezie Metu: In the regular season’s final five games, Metu averaged 11 points on a 69.2% field goal percentage during this span for the 14-68 Detroit Pistons. On April 6 against the Brooklyn Nets, he shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the field for 20 points and seven rebounds. Metu finished this season playing 51 games for the Phoenix Suns and the Pistons, averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing.
Nikola Vucevic: Vucevic averaged over 27 points per game in the final three outings of the Chicago Bulls’ regular season to help the team clinch the ninth seed and home-court advantage in the first leg of the play-in tournament, which they won against the Atlanta Hawks. He continued his stellar form in that game, scoring 24 points and collecting 12 rebounds in a do-or-die win. The Montenegrin averaged 18 points and 10 boards during the 2023-24 regular season and will look to clinch a first-round berth against the Miami Heat on Friday night.
Now, let’s take a look back at other recent performances from former Trojans around the regular season’s end, with both players looking to keep their momentum going into the postseason.
Evan Mobley
Despite missing several periods during the season due to injury, Mobley continued to show how vital he is for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the 50 games he featured in, the Southern California native is 22nd in the entire league in win shares per 48 minutes — above even LeBron James. Win shares per 48 minutes are an estimated measure of the number of wins a certain player contributes every 48 minutes.
Compared to seasons past, he has improved his all-around game, even despite a lack of playing time. Mobley set career highs in rebounds per game, assists per game and steals per game this season. He has also taken a massive leap in shooting efficiency at all three levels, setting career highs in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage, suggesting he has another level to reach as a scorer.
Against the Cavaliers’ division rival Indiana Pacers on April 12, Evan Mobley and the Cavs had the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth with a win. In just under 30 minutes on the hardwood, Mobley clocked 12 points and five rebounds on 85% shooting to help the Cavaliers steer control of this game from the start. Despite a second-half comeback effort from the Pacers, the Cavs secured a playoff spot for back-to-back seasons.
Cleveland had a chance to be crowned Central Division champions with a win against the Hornets and a Milwaukee Bucks loss to the Orlando Magic. Although Orlando clinched the win, Cleveland had a different outcome. Despite scoring 14 points and securing six rebounds, the Cavaliers lost 120-110 after yanking their starters mid-way through the game, presumably in an effort to lock in their first-round matchup against Orlando. Cleveland has yet to clinch the Central Division since 2018.
His performances throughout the season have helped lead the Cavaliers through a competitive Eastern Conference, eventually finishing fourth for the second consecutive season. Now, Mobley and the Cavs will take on the fifth-seeded Magic, with Game 1 set to tip off on Saturday morning.
DeMar DeRozan
At 34 years old, DeMar DeRozan remarkably led the entire NBA in total minutes played in 2023-24 — finishing with 2,989. In 79 games this season, the Compton native also recorded a season-high in minutes played per game at 37.8. He is also currently the odds-on second-favorite to win the Clutch Player of the Year award, behind only the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry.
DeRozan has been on a scoring rampage when he stays on the floor. In his final 10 regular season matchups, he averaged 29.6 points per game, helping the Bulls clinch a play-in berth.
He has scored in double-digits in all but one game in 2023-24. In his 79 games, he continued to prove his worth as an all-out scorer,averaging 24 points a night, which ranks 17th in the entire association. He has done this with an efficient 58% true shooting percentage.
Against Metu’s Pistons on April 11, DeRozan torched Detroit with his scoring output, putting up 39 points in a dominating 22-point away victory to the Bulls’ Central Division rival. Eighteen of those 39 came in the third quarter, which helped Chicago clinch its 38th win of the season and the nine seed, which gave the Bulls home-court advantage in the first play-in matchup against the eventual tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
After taking a rare rest against the Washington Wizards, the six-time All-Star started his 79th and final game of the regular season against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. DeRozan started the game on fire — scoring 11 points in the first 12 minutes — and finished with 30 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals in an overtime thriller in Madison Square Garden.
DeRozan would follow a similar scoring pattern in the Bulls’ first play-in game. He yet again opened the game at a rapid pace with 11 points in the first quarter of play and helped Chicago gain an early 18 point advantage heading into the second. Atlanta was not able to force a comeback effort, as he would finish one assist shy of a double-double to go along with his 22 points, keeping the Bulls’ season alive — at least for one more game.
DeRozan, Vucevic and the Bulls will take on the Miami Heat this Friday in hopes of securing the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“Fight on, Dribble on” runs every Friday.