Nick Popovic isn’t really a point guard.
That might be confusing if you watch Lake Zurich play because the 6-foot-3 senior is running the offense. The arrangement is proving beneficial for all involved.
“It’s been good for me because I’ve become more confident with the ball and I’m controlling the offense with the way we read things,” Popovic said. “I know the speed and pace of the game better.
“And we’ve been winning a lot with this lineup.”
Indeed, Popovic is a big reason the Bears (13-4, 5-1) entered the week in a three-way tie for first place in the North Suburban Conference. He is completely sold on his new role, making the lineup that includes 6-foot-8 junior center Anton Strelnikov all the more effective, even if it comes at the expense of a more eye-catching stat line. Popovic is averaging 12.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds.
“We prioritize winning over individual success because at the end of the day, winning gets you further,” he said. “I’d rather score two points and win than score 20 points and lose.”
The latter situation could have been more common for the Bears had Popovic remained at the off-guard spot.
“He’s scoring at 12 or 13 points per game and probably could be up closer to 17 or 18, but he understands that him helping make other people better is one of the main reasons for our success,” Lake Zurich coach Terry Coughlin said. “He’s had to sacrifice more than anyone for the betterment of the team, and it’s been a cool evolution. He’s become a straight-up winner.”
One of the prime beneficiaries of Popovic’s play is sophomore guard Kain Kretschmar, who has become more involved in the offense as the season has progressed.
“He finds me, and we’ve developed a special type of communication,” Kretschmar said. “He told me before the season that he wanted to go out with a bang, and he’s doing whatever it takes to win. Everyone looks up to him for that.”
Popovic’s score-first persona became easier to adjust as the wins piled up.
“If shots come to me, I’ll take them,” he said. “But I try not to force anything because we have a lot of guys who can score in their own way. There’s always an option to exploit.”
Coughlin said Popovic’s move didn’t happen without some early bumps. But Coughlin views the second half of the Bears’ 65-63 win against Hersey on Dec. 16 win as the time when a switch flipped for Popovic.
Popovic’s memory of that game is positive, too, but for a different reason: his defense.
In fact, Popovic’s defensive versatility has become a key factor for the Bears, who have come to expect him to guard the other team’s best perimeter scorer.
“You play defense a lot on effort,” he said. “Something that we’ve been taught is that if a player you’re guarding passes the ball right away, it’s a small win. You win games on defense. Offense just determines by how much.”
Popovic said he hopes his more well-rounded game leads to more offers than the one he has from Dominican University’s Division III program.
“All of the outside attention is always about points, and not assists or other facets of your game,” he said. “But I know that real basketball players and coaches can see me making the right play. That’s what I try to do.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
