Vasilije Micić trying to make the best of timely opportunity with Charlotte Hornets

Calling it a mental whirlwind probably doesn’t even do it justice.

Not only is Vasilije Micić in a different country learning a new culture and everything that comes with it, the Serbian is on his second team in his rookie season, joining the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA trade deadline deal that sent Gordon Hayward to Oklahoma City.

It’s certainly not the way he envisioned things would transpire when he ventured across the pond from Europe, looking to take the next step in a career that’s already earned him more than a few accolades. Micić’s latest stride took place at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night, starting once again at point guard in the Hornets’ 114-97 loss to Detroit.

“I’m still trying to find myself,” said Micić, who posted 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds against the Pistons. “It’s a mix of what’s really happening. We have a lot of injured players and it’s something that opened a lot of room for me in terms of minutes. But at the same time I’m at the age of, now, 30 and I’ve kind of shaped my game already. And I’m coming from five years of playing ... the same way.

“So, it’s not an easy to adjust to fit in the team that needs more of a creator or passer — whatever it is. And I’m just trying to find the mix to still be aggressive, to still be capable of also scoring. But at the same time playing the right way.”

With LaMelo Ball continuing to rehab his right ankle, leaving him sidelined for a 22nd straight game, and Tre Mann unable to go for the third game in a row due to left groin injury, the Hornets are putting the offense in Micić’s hands. He’s relying on the things that propelled him to become a two-time EuroLeague champion, two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and garner the 2021 EuroLeague MVP honor.

Considering how he was buried on the bench in Oklahoma City due to the talent the Thunder boasts at his position, including MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Micić is ecstatic to get a chance with the Hornets after logging action in just 30 games before being dealt to Charlotte.

And he’s taking advantage of his opportunity.

Micić has scored in double figures in six consecutive outings, representing the longest stretch of his young NBA career. He was also coming off a solid performance two nights earlier versus Brooklyn, when he dished a career-high 10 assists to go with 12 points and snatched a career-high-tying five rebounds, becoming the second-oldest rookie in league history to record a double-double in their first season.

Along with helping fellow countryman and ex-Thunder teammate Aleksej Pokuševski settle in with the Hornets, Micić is filling in some of the key areas missing in the absence of Ball and other key injured players.

“Just high IQ,” Miles Bridges said. “When things get a little scattered, he’ll come in and change the pace of the game and he sees things before they happen. He reads the room, he reads everything on offense. So, he’s been good for us.”

In a situation where he’s had to quickly learn what the Hornets want from him on the fly, too.

“It’s very tough because we have some miscommunications throughout these games, but he’s figuring it out,” Bridges said. “You can’t get mad at him because he’s been doing a great job of keeping the team organized. And that’s all we can ask for.”

Micić is the oldest rookie since 1997 to net at least 20 points in a game, accomplishing the feat in the Hornets’ loss to Orlando on March 5. Slowly, he’s getting there and these final 17 games over the season’s final month are extremely important for him as he navigates switching between attack mode and serving as a floor visionary.

“I’m trying to keep being aggressive against the defense, reaching the paint, finding the best man,” Micić said. “Because we have a lot of talent and that’s how I’m trying to mix this balance. Sometimes if there is open room, I’m going for a basket because I don’t want them to think I’m just a passer, because unfortunately in modern basketball you can’t play any more like that. You have to be capable of (more).

“I work every day on my skills. Even now I’m doing the same things I used to work on at the age of 20. So, I can get better and better in different styles and different distances from 3-point range. But it’s all what I want to do — just to stay dangerous for the opponent. And that balance is key to me.”