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Jusuf Nurkic Is in for a Career Season in Portland

The stage is set for the Bosnian Beast to have his best year yet in the NBA.

By Nicholas LeTourneauPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
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Credit: Bruce Ely

It’s pretty rare to see a trade work out so well for both sides, but last season’s Jusuf Nurkic for Mason Plumlee trade was exactly what both teams needed. Portland cleared the way for Serbian star Nikola Jokic, while Denver got the bruising center they have been missing in Mason Plumlee.

Nurkic’s fit in Portland was hand-in-glove during the final third of last season. In 20 games he averaged 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting just over 50% from the floor. National media outlets are starting to pay attention to the Bosnian Beast now that he has found a perfect situation in Portland. Sports Illustrated ranked him at 69 (nice) in their top 100, while Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer called Nurkic one of the centers of the new class given his offensive skill set around the perimeter and throwback style on defense.

Reports are coming in that Nurkic has spent the summer losing weight. After arriving in Portland weighing over 300 pounds, Nurkic is down to 275 pounds and looking very focused. It seems that the Portland camp is expecting Nurkic to be the center for years to come, barring an unforeseen tragedy.

Nurkic’s impact on offense and defense is apparent, as Tjarks pointed out in his previously mentioned post with The Ringer. In 584 minutes played in a Blazers uniform, Portland’s net rating was plus-9.6. Nurkic also boasted the highest offensive rating (113.7) and lowest defensive rating (103.7) of any player on the roster. After seeing Nurkic on the floor with this group of players and realizing he was only a Blazer for 20 games, it’s apparent that he is going to have a career year in Portland.

Nurkic is a gifted passer for his size, can score from the post, is an above average offensive rebounder, and has a good looking jumper. Let’s take a look at exactly how his impact is felt on offense.

In one of Nurkic’s first games as a Blazer, he showed his worth on the offensive glass. He uses his long 7’2” wingspan to snatch the rebound away from Derrick Favors before spinning to his left to finish a smooth layup at the rim. Given how short the Blazer’s frontcourt was before his arrival, not a lot of players were doing this. He does this regularly.

Here against Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic we see more evidence of Nurkic using his big body to bully people for buckets in the post. He gets the pass about two or three feet outside the paint before backing Vucevic down and finishing with the right-handed hook shot. Nurkic has the size of a center from the 90s but all the skills of a modern NBA player.

Don’t let the lack of reaction from the broadcasters fool you, this was a monster slam. Nurkic sets the screen for Damian Lillard, who finds him open on the roll. Nurkic takes one step to gather then slams it in as most of the Toronto Raptors watch. Given how large and heavy he is you don’t expect this kind of athleticism from Nurkic but he is without a doubt capable of doing it, especially since getting into excellent shape this offseason.

When Nurkic was with the Nuggets, I felt his passing was severely underrated in comparison to Nikola Jokic. Here you get a good example of Nurkic’s passing vision and ability. He sets two screens, gets the pass from Lillard as he rolls to the basket, then finds Noah Vonleh on the baseline for an easy dunk. If you’re open, chances are Nurkic will try to find you on the court.

The game is slowing down for Nurkic. What would've been a contested shot attempt as a rookie turns into a cross-court pass and three-point attempt for a teammate. At first, Nurkic has a wide open shot but the window closes quickly as Aaron Gordon slides to contest. Nurkic notices an uncovered Mo Harkless and finds him for an easy three-point attempt.

Nurkic is deceptively agile for his size and shows it here. He gets the pass and makes his move on Serge Ibaka while finishing with an "and one" play. Now that he is losing weight and playing with a chip on his shoulder, imagine what he will do next season. Barring injury, Nurkic will be in for a career season in Portland

basketball
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About the Creator

Nicholas LeTourneau

I like steak & hoops & One-Punch Man | I'm the video guy for NetsDaily.Com | I write for unbalanced.media | Follow me on Twitter for NBA videos & Game of Thrones conspiracy theories [@Nick_LT].

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