Why I Love Sasha Vujacic

While I will agree that this is perhaps a predictable debut blog entry coming from me, I’ll spare you all the mushy details about how I first took notice of his oh-so-cute boyish good looks. This time, it’s about the talent, the talent that you could sense within him over these past few years that is finally blooming. It’s about the not-so-pesky little Slovenian you all love to hate. It’s about “The Machine!” Even as I am writing this, I can feel all the skepticism, but it’s time that I step up and defend my man once and for all.

Phil loves him, so you should too. If it’s anyone that has faith in Sasha, it’s Phil Jackson. So maybe he did refer to Sasha as “11 o’clock player.” But it is apparent that Jackson consistently puts his trust in him. As Sasha emerges as a reliable player, things are changing. He's confident. When the ball gets to Sasha, you can almost always expect he will shoot. And despite the occasional pleading for him not to take the shot, he's making a good amount of them. If he doesn't, it's okay, because you can just tell he knows he will make the next one. You need confident shooters. He gives 100% every time he steps out on the court in practice and 110% in games.

Defense. He’s everywhere. Even reputable players struggle with Sasha on guard, and I am convinced that, that is why they are forced to foul, and foul hard. Players get annoyed at Sasha because they see him as a little nuisance that, for some reason, they just can’t seem to get past. I will forever vow revenge on Carmelo for daring to intentionally choke poor little Sasha.

He’s “The Machine!” A nickname he did not, in fact, give himself, but rather, is called such for his amazing 3-point shooting abilities! This season Sasha shot 44% from the 3-point line. And if you can recall as well as I do, the games in which Sasha’s 3-point shot sealed the deal for a Lakers win: first back in 2005 in OT against the Jazz, Sasha put the Lakers in the lead making both free throws, then proceeded to secure the win with a 3-pointer. Last year again, against the Mavs, he not only shot his career high in points, but broke Dallas’ winning streak with a game-winning 3. Sasha has definitely saved the day before. And it’ll happen again – perhaps in these playoffs, he’ll have a chance to become the new Horry. Sasha can pull through when it matters the most.

The hair, the headband, the heart. With all of these components, Sasha is that player so loveable you can’t help but like. So he grew his hair to juxtapose his baby face. But he’s still cute. He wears a woman’s headband given to him by a Lakers girl. But he’s still cute. (And at least he doesn’t have to constantly slick his bangs to the side every time he goes to make a shot, i.e., Kyle Kutcher Korver.) That aside, Sasha brings the intensity to the court. The flame was always there, and now Sasha is on fire. Gradually he is becoming a valuable asset to the Lakers, a player not only looked to for comic relief, but as a necessity to the team. All in all, Sasha has proved to be able to get the job done when it counts. He'll continue to improve, and one day you will all embrace Sasha as a respectable NBA player with as much intensity as his bearhug "manhug" to Pau Gasol.