Late in the first half in Paris, Nadir Hifi tried to find space that had been difficult to come by for most of the game. Luka Vildoza pushed him toward the corner, stayed in front of him, forced him into a difficult shot and then blocked the attempt. Partizan recovered the ball, and a few seconds later Arijan Lakić hit a three-pointer from nearly half court at the buzzer, sending Partizan into halftime with a 44-40 lead. That possession said plenty about why Vildoza has become so important to Partizan so quickly.
Vildoza Arrived With More Doubts Than Certainty
When he signed with Partizan this summer, few people viewed the move without reservations. Much of the fan base was uneasy because of his past at Crvena zvezda, but also because his time in red and white in Belgrade had been marked by inconsistency. He had not left the impression of a player who, a few years later, should be trusted with an important role at Partizan.
Given that background, he arrived with little room for a slow start. Already in his first two games, he began to significantly change the way Partizan fans saw him, with many now viewing him as one of the main catalysts for the style of basketball Joan Peñarroya wants his team to play.
Carlik Jones played his best individual game in a Partizan jersey against Paris, but Vildoza may have made the biggest impact on the defensive end. In 20 minutes, he scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, added two assists and a block, and recorded six steals, a new EuroLeague career high.
The Six Steals Were About Reading the Game, Not Gambling
Vildoza did not get those six steals by repeatedly gambling in the passing lanes. Several came from reading the play in front of him, recognizing when a ballhandler was losing control or when pressure from a teammate created an opening to attack the next pass. His aggression matters, but so does his timing.
Hifi increasingly found himself driving into traffic and finished with seven turnovers, while Etienne and Roden had four each. The three combined for 15 turnovers. Vildoza is particularly useful in a defense that does not ask him to create the initial pressure himself. He had others to take their part. Pajola disrupted the initial setup, while Carlik and Kyle Allman helped keep the ball on one side and the bigs closed off the first driving lane. That gave Vildoza the chance to read the next action and react. When he timed it correctly, Partizan turned that pressure into transition before Paris could get its defense set, as it did several times off his steals.
Playing Next to Carlik Allows Vildoza to Pick His Spots
With Carlik Jones alongside him, Vildoza does not currently have to carry the offense as the primary playmaker. Playing next to Jones allows him to pick his spots. He does not have to bring the ball up or initiate every possession, nor is his value tied to his assist total.
“It works really well. It makes things easier for me because I don’t always have to be the one distributing the ball. I give it to Carlik, and he takes pressure off his teammates and takes responsibility. It’s on us to keep pushing at the same pace”, Vildoza said.
His influence became even more pronounced in the second half, when he scored 11 of his 16 points, added two assists and recorded four of his six steals. He repeatedly got under the skin of Etienne, Roden and Dokossi with his defensive pressure, first helping Partizan answer Paris’ attempts to make another run and then playing a major part in putting the game away as the Black and Whites took control.
Jones remained the primary organizer, while Vildoza attacked the second side, played off movement, took over playmaking duties when needed and used the space Carlik created by drawing defensive attention. Against Paris, that helped him get to 16 points with only two misses from the field, without needing the ball in his hands all the time.
“That’s my role. Sometimes I need to get a steal, sometimes I need to create for my teammates. I’m happy with the job I did”.
Partizan Needs His Defensive Pressure More Than His Scoring
Partizan does not need Vildoza to score 16 or 20 points every night. What matters more is the pressure he brings on the perimeter and the way a few strong defensive possessions can quickly change Partizan’s rhythm at the other end.
Paris started the game well and caused Partizan problems early, something Kyle Allman acknowledged afterward. Partizan responded in the second half with greater intensity, more physical play and better control of the tempo, and Vildoza was one of the players who helped increase that defensive pressure and force Paris into more mistakes.
The Perception Around Him Is Already Starting to Change
He arrived in an environment where part of the fan base did not want him, carrying the baggage of his previous stint with Partizan’s biggest rival and doubts over whether he could still be an important player at the EuroLeague level.
The sequence against Hifi late in the first half is a good example of how quickly that perception has started to change. Vildoza forced the difficult shot, finished the possession with a block and gave Partizan the chance to run the other way. A few seconds later, Lakić was celebrating a three-pointer from nearly half court.
