Portland Trail Blazers: Remember when Jusuf Nurkic was going to shoot threes? How’s he doing with that?
By Doug Patrick
The Portland Trail Blazers big man gathered some attention this preseason as a potential three-point shooter. Let’s see how he’s doing with that.
Remember this September, back when we were young and starry-eyed, and believed that Jusuf Nurkic might be shooting threes for this Portland Trail Blazers team?
It wasn’t a crazy notion. After all, Nurk didn’t look too bad from beyond the arc this preseason. Okay, well, he was 3/9 through five games.
But it was the way it all happened. He came into the third game of the preseason against the Jazz with one triple already under his belt and nailed two more in the same amount of attempts – he even hit one shot with his foot on the line.
The timing of his version of a three-point barrage couldn’t have been better. It came right on the heels of Jamie Hudson’s tweet before the game saying Head Coach Terry Stotts was giving Nurkic the freedom to shoot from deep:
Stotts has said before the game that he’s totally fine with Nurk shooting 3s as long as it is a good 3 and he’s open. Nurk is taking him up on that 🎯
— Jamie Hudson (@JamieHudson_) October 8, 2018
I was roped in. Seriously. Three games into the preseason, and I’m thinking Jusuf Nurkic could possibly be a productive three-point shooter. Or, he could at least keep defenders honest some nights to stretch the floor.
14 games into the season, and I think it’s time we check on how well the old Bosnian Beast is doing from deep.