Rebounds per game – Jusuf Nurkic
This category is probably a lock as well; Jusuf Nurkic will lead the team in rebounds as long as there are no significant health issues for him. I don’t think that Coach Terry Stotts will push Nurkic’s minute load, though. He will likely play between 28 and 31 minutes a night, preserving him for important games and the post-season.
Nurkic got into better shape over the hiatus while recovering from his injury, so his rebound total is likely to be stronger than in previous years. He lost at least 20 pounds over this extended absence, giving him extra lift and bounce around the basket.
Nurkic will also have other players with great size alongside him, meaning that opposition players won’t just run to him for box outs. With players of six-foot-eight, and six-foot-ten lined up to play the four, and others of six-foot-six and six-foot-eight to play the three, this team will have far more size than in the bubble when Nurkic last played.
With a rebound average of around 10 in the bubble and a little higher in his last completed season, I seem Nurkic as likely to hit around that mark again. Having more size will mean that the team rebounding will be better, but Nurk will still grab the same or more with his extra athleticism.