Portland Trail Blazers: Classic Nurkic

Chris Phillips   |  

Feb 27, 2022

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The Portland Trail Blazers reshaped their roster at the trade deadline. Jusuf Nurkic might be the biggest beneficiary of this change.

The Portland Trail Blazers were active reshaping this team at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, one player thought to be traded, Jusuf Nurkic, was not dealt. Instead, he was rewarding his team with some of the best plays of his career. With superstar Damian Lillard out with an injury, Nurkic was the team leader. As a result, Portland Trail Blazers fans are getting to witness some of the very best plays by the Bosnian Beast. Specifically, I’m talking about his assist output.

Production

Since February 8th, the date CJ McCollum went from Rip City to New Orleans, Nurkic has averaged 4.2 assists per game. Along with the increase in assists, there are also increases in his efficiency across the board. His FG% is .514, .429% from three, and .758% from the free-throw line, 13.4 rebounds, just under one block (0.6), and one steal (0.6), and even 20 points per game. Yes, his stats are up beyond their norms.

Nurkic’s playing is another happy outcome from how this season has played out and how the team has drastically changed. There is no question that Anfernee Simons is the lead guy on the team. Nurkic and Simons were forming a lethal inside-out combination. It can also be argued he’s Simons’s right-hand man. The Portland Trail Blazers were even running some offensive sets through Nurkic.

Looking to the Horizon

Hopefully, the Portland Trail Blazers will continue this run that they are on now that the All-Star break is over. Unfortunately, Nurkic will be out for the next four weeks due to left foot plantar fasciitis. Definitely, bad timing for this to happen.

Before this newest injury, his current level of play is undoubtedly helping his case for the Blazers to resign him. If not, get him a more significant contract elsewhere. Now Nurkic is possibly watching some of those dollars go out the window, which might be more beneficial for the Blazers to retain him.