Former Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic has completely resurrected his career with the Utah Jazz. He just recently recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
To put that impressive performance into perspective, that's only the fourth triple-double in almost the last 18 years for Utah. He's also the first Jazz player since Andrei Kirilenko to have 15-15-10 in a contest.
If you've followed Nurkic's resurgent season in Utah, this actually shouldn't come as a surprise. He's previously hovered around this mark in a few matchups, averaging a well-rounded 10.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on the season.
The Jazz were widely viewed as the Western Conference bottom feeders heading into the season, but have relatively exceeded expectations with a 15-29 record. Their controversial decision to acquire Nurkic from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Collin Sexton and a future second-round pick is quietly a huge reason why, as he's become an integral part of their offense.
Jusuf Nurkic has found new life in Utah
Nurkic looks much closer to the Blazers version fans in Portland are familiar with, rather than his rough stints in Phoenix and Charlotte. Those were two struggling teams in dire need of frontcourt depth that still ultimately decided that Nurkic wasn't the solution to their problems. As a result, it appeared Nurkic's career was on a downward trajectory. The unfortunate cherry on top was Nurkic getting called out by Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Adis Beciragic for "being out of shape" and someone who "can barely run."
Nurkic is just 31 years old, suggesting he still has plenty of productive years left in his career. But these developments contradicted that. There were question marks surrounding how his flat-footed, back-to-the-basket game would fit into the pace and space of the modern NBA.
However, to Nurkic and Utah's credit, he's found the perfect landing spot with a team that realizes his game and role have been limited in years past. The Jazz are allowing him to play more to his strengths, using him as someone who can initiate offense through his solid screens and underrated court vision.
After seeing the success he's found with his new team, which seems to recognize the value he can provide, Nurkic's past struggles say more about his former team's inability to properly utilize him than anything else.
No wonder he recently made it clear that he'd prefer to stay in Utah past the trade deadline.