Jaylen Brown needs Nikola Vucevic to be more aggressive in Celtics transition

BOSTON — Nikola Vucevic is a seasoned center with two All-Star nods and 15 years of NBA experience under his belt. However, that doesn't guarantee that the transition to his new team, the Boston Celtics, will be easy.

Ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, the Celtics landed the former Chicago Bulls big man in exchange for shooting guard Anfernee Simons. Vucevic had been in trade rumors for multiple years and the C's were in need of some extra size, as they were lacking true depth at the five spot. The 35-year-old is known for his offensive game, so it makes sense that he tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists during his Celtics debut on Friday night.

Vucevic's second act for the Celtics wasn't as impressive. The 2011 first-round pick looked a bit hesitant on Sunday afternoon and got into foul trouble earlier than Boston would've liked. He finished with 11 points (on 38.5% shooting) and 6 rebounds but also had 2 turnovers and 0 assists en route to a disappointing 111-89 loss to the New York Knicks.

"We've got to figure out the chemistry a little bit, the flow a little bit," Celtics star Jaylen Brown said in the locker room following the blowout. "We want (Vucevic) to be a little bit more aggressive. Looking for him to get going and make him feel confident in taking those shots and where he can catch the ball. I think he's still learning, but we need him to be aggressive."

While Vucevic started every game he played in with the Bulls this season, he's come off the bench in each of his two outings with the Green Team. The NBA vet said he was open to this change though during his introductory press conference on Friday morning. He just has to get up to speed on the Celtics' complicated system.

"I know what it's like to be traded, on a new team," Celtics guard Derrick White said in the locker room. "Luckily for me, I knew most of the stuff and terminology, so he's kind of getting it completely different. So, (I'll) just welcome him with open arms and try to help any way I can."

Derrick White on his first impression of Nikola Vucevic and helping him gel:

“It’s been great. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him.”

“I know what it’s like to be traded…Welcome him with open arms.” pic.twitter.com/e0T9jVGmQO— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) February 8, 2026

Vucevic's growing pains were not the Celtics' biggest problem on Sunday. They simply couldn't get open shots to fall, converting on just 37% of their field goal attempts and 17% of their 3-point attempts, which was a season-low.

“We created a bunch of open looks," Brown stated. "We've just got to step in with confidence and knock them down.”

Jaylen Brown on what went wrong today:

“We created a bunch of open looks. We just got to step in with confidence and knock them down.”

“They made shots.” pic.twitter.com/DszzhifBG9— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) February 8, 2026

Conversely, the Knicks regularly cashed their open looks, draining 14 triples to the Celtics' 7. Their efficient shooting and stout defense were too much for the struggling Celtics to overcome.

"We'll make adjustments, we'll communicate, we'll watch film, and we'll be better for it," Brown said.

Although the Celtics suffered their most lopsided defeat since the beginning of November, they didn't sound overly concerned in the locker room. It was still chatty and players were discussing the upcoming Super Bowl, clearly embracing patience instead of panic after their first loss since Jan. 28th.

"It's kind of tough on the fly," White said of integrating Vucevic. "And, I mean, we're two games in. It's nothing to really be worried about."

In less than a week, the All-Star break will be here and the Celtics staff will have plenty of time to review film and see how they can best incorporate Vucevic into their system. But, before then, the C's have one last game on Wednesday night against the Bulls, a familiar foe who rostered Vucevic for over 5 years.

"I totally understand that my role (in Boston) would be different than what it was for most of my career in Chicago and Orlando before, and I was fine with that," Vucevic said Friday morning. "That might take some time to adjust to coming off the bench and maybe playing different minutes and things like that, but it's all part of the process."

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown wants to instill confidence in newest teammate, Nikola Vucevic