Jusuf Nurkic could be the Portland Trail Blazers second star

Offensively

We’re nearly halfway through this season and Nurkic is posting career-highs in points (15.2), rebounds (10.5), offensive rebounds (3.6), assists (2.9), steals (1.2), free throw attempts (5.0), free throw percentage (.742), player efficiency rating or PER (23.4), true shooting percentage (.560), and plus-minus (+5.2). Yeah, he’s been pretty good.

Nurkic has been assertive, calling for the ball on the block. He is finding ways to pound his way to the rim and use post moves and a hook shot more reliably than he ever has.

As a roll man, he’s been more decisive when he gets the ball. Before, Nurkic was more passive in these actions and would flip up inconsistent floaters. Now, he attacks the step-up man and is dunking at a much higher rate than last year (49 dunks through 40 games compared to 68 all of last year).

He hasn’t become the three-point shooter and floor spacer a lot of Blazers fans had dreamed he might be, but he remains a constant threat on the high block with his passing ability. Sometimes he takes bigger gambles than he needs to (2.3 turnovers), but he can both find the open man for three with a swing pass or bounce a pass right in the pocket for a cutter.

He holds the team’s second most offensive win shares (2.2), between Damian Lillard (4.2), and CJ McCollum (1.6).

Defensively

The Blazers have lost a step defensively this season, but Nurkic has remained a bright spot.

Throughout the year, Nurkic has been an important post-protector. Not only has he been a rim protector, lowering opponents’ field goal percentages by 8.3, but he has disrupted teams’ drives and passes with his length and strength.

The club can get torched with their drop-big defensive scheme, but Nurkic clearly plays the drop role effectively.

He isn’t the quickest laterally, but he knows how to hustle and rotate intelligently. When Nurkic is locked in, he is a very capable defensive captain.