Suddenly silent Jusuf Nurkic no good for Portland Trail Blazers

Jusuf Nurkic has rarely been hesitant to yak it up, either with his fellow Trail Blazers or with journalists covering the team. So why the sudden silence now that he’s reported to be injured?

Remember last year when the Trail Blazers acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Denver Nuggets? He arrived riding an unexpected wave of good vibes. He provided a kick in the rear to a team that had been struggling. And he helped Portland to a 14-6 record with him in the lineup — until a leg injury sidelined him for the final days of the season and into the playoffs.

But do you also remember what happened after the Trail Blazers beat the Nuggets 122-113 in late March at the Moda Center? Nurkic had a monster game, shooting the lights out on his way to 33 points and 15 rebounds. Plus, the game all but eliminated his former team from playoff contention while pretty much securing a spot for his new one.

And when it came time for a postgame interview, Nurkic talked a little smack.

And finally, do you remember how in September, prior to this season, Nurkic said he wanted to help turn the Trail Blazers into a modern version of the Pistons’ old-school “Bad Boys”?

Well, what happened to that guy? Rip City loves that guy. Why is he so quiet all of a sudden?

Trail Blazers, Nurkic and Injuries

On Sunday, while the Blazers were getting thoroughly thrashed by the Utah Jazz, Nurkic left the game in the third quarter with an apparent injury. He’s since been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. According to the official report, Nurkic is “battling soreness in his lower-back and right hip.”

OK, fine. Nurkic is hurt. It happens. Guys get banged up during the long NBA season.

But why isn’t he talking?

Many are baffled by Nurk and his sudden silence, with a few of them forced to speculate on what’s going on.

Conjecture

Earlier this week, I wrote:

"(I)f Nurkic is able to suit up and play big minutes Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, then it’s reasonable to wonder whether his early exit against Utah was less a case of injury and more a case of a player getting dominated and fleeing to the safety of the locker room."

I don’t like speculation or conjecture. But those of us who cover this team must try to fill in the blanks for our readers. And it’s difficult to piece together a story with insufficient evidence. Furthermore, it’s a little maddening when the subject of that story refuses to talk.

So we and the rest of Rip City’s denizens are left to wonder.

Freeman reports that after the Jazz game, “multiple teammates and coach Terry Stotts said they didn’t know how Nurkic injured himself.”

So what’s going on with our starting center? Is he gonna play against the Warriors, or what?

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In the case of this all-too mysterious ailment, I say let Nurkic rest. Sit him out of the Warriors game. Let him recover during the All-Star break. The Trail Blazers need him strong and healthy. Not to mention loud. And boisterous. And a little bit cocky.

Not this enigma that seems to have taken his place.

But if Nurkic does play against Golden State … well, then I just have to wonder: What sort of back injury forces a man out of a game but can be sufficiently healed in just a few days, allowing him to bang beneath the boards and battle with the best basketball team in the world?

Tip-off Wednesday against the Warriors is set for 7:30 p.m. PST.