Rip City Project
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Nurkić Down: Huge Injury Calls for Reinforcements

By Isaiah De los Santos

Mar 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum (3) and center Jusuf Nurkic (27) embrace during a timeout during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum (3) and center Jusuf Nurkic (27) embrace during a timeout during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

Starting center and resident playoff savior Jusuf Nurkić has just been sidelined with a leg fracture. The injury throws a wrench in the momentum Portland was gaining; with any chance of keeping the magic alive, the Blazers need backup—quick.

Things were just too good to be true in Rip City as Nurkić joins Walton, Bowie and Oden, etching his name into the Blazers Center Injury Tragedy Mount Rushmore.

Portland has been a different team with Nurkić in the starting lineup. He was a main cog in the NBA’s best March record at 13-3, owning the Nuggets physically and verbally in the process.

He gave the Blazers hope.

Now, the team will move forward without him as they try to secure the eighth seed in the playoffs. Denver just dropped their game against the Hornets, putting Portland two games ahead. The cushion is comfy, but not plump enough to sit back and relax.

To replace Nurkić’s 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds a game will be difficult. The way that Nurk gets buckets, or boxes out an opponent instills fear in the opposition. He has the mean streak that a bruiser needs.

A player like Festus Ezeli would be absolutely lovely to have right now, but we know that ship has sailed.

That being said, Portland has intriguing players to role with at the five. Someone must step up to not only take on Nurkic’s load for the regular season, but possibly beyond, should the injury sideline him for part of—or the entire—playoffs.