In their most recent outing the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. Not even carrying Kevin Love in the line-up, the Cavs still came up trumps as they out willed and out rebounded the Blazers.
This Portland Trail Blazers team is so close to the bottom of the western conference standings, and the fans are understandably mad. They might look at this team and blame the failed trade for Hassan Whiteside, or the same for Kent Bazemore.
But the one person they are missing the most, is Jusuf Nurkic.
Nurkic is the glue that holds this team together. Last year was a tour de force for the seven-foot Bosnian. On both ends of the court he was key to everything this team did, and was a massive part of the reason this team had such a great regular season.
Nurkic being out has been the biggest problem for this team. The deficiencies that this site and many others have talked about can be largely covered by the return of Nurkic. Here’s what he does so well and how he can fill the breach when he returns.
Getting to the line
Getting to the line is still a massive part of the NBA these days. Nurkic, because of his size and craftiness around the rim was able to get there on 44% of his shot attempts last season. Not only was this a team high but only Damian Lillard had more free throw attempts last season.
Outscored at the free throw line against the Cavaliers, the Blazers are ranked 20th in free throw rate this season. Getting easy points at the line is one way to get across the line in games, Nurkic’s assistance will be massive here on this return.
Rebounding
Rebounding has turned into a massive issue for this team. Hassan Whiteside will still grab his fair share of boards but inaccurate boxing out and sometimes hunting blocks has meant he is out of position on the defensive end at times. Whiteside isn’t fully to blame here, but some reinforcements in the form of seven footers are needed. Nurkic is great at doing the dirty work like screening, boxing out etc.
At 280 pounds he is a massive body to move when he’s under the rim. Nurkic’s activity on the offensive glass has also been missed. Again Whiteside has got his share of offensive boards but he has played limited minutes while also being out with injuries.
Nurkic can have this team back above league average when it comes to rebounding.
Defense
Don’t let Whiteside’s empty block numbers fool you. He has been passable around the rim but below par any time he leaves the paint. In years past he would got lots of steals by poking the ball away and being active when moving his feet. This year his feet are in concrete and he is very inconsistent on the defensive end.
Nurkic’s versatility to defend both under the basket and not get killed on the perimeter means he is playable against smaller line-ups. As a center he is one of the best at getting steals and deflections on defense, with long arms and active hands he is one of the craftier defenders under the basket.
The growth of Jusuf Nurkic last year was such a big part of the Blazers regular season success. His return will be massive as the calling cards in his game will address a lot of shortcomings for this team.
Though it will be between six and eight weeks till he returns, if they can get enough wins in the meantime, he can help them get back on track with a potential run to the playoffs. This team has the pieces, we just need them all fit at the same time!