OT NBA Player Rankings: B/Rs Top 15 Centers Entering 2018-19 Season (No Nurkic?)

[hoopsjock]

No. And yes, I am well aware the entire team played like crap in the series. That was the point - that Davis should not be singled out. And yes, I could have expressed that better.

I give Nurk a pass because in the 2nd half of game 4 we went to him about 8 plays in a row and he showed a flash of his potential and for a few minutes he was the best and most dominant player on the floor (yes, that includes Anthony Davis). I know it's an incredibly small sample size but it gave a glimpse of two things. The first is that Nurk is not unplayable. The second is that having a dominant big to feed the ball too when times are tough for our guards could potentially unlock the entire offense to a level we haven't seen in awhile.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I give Nurk a pass because in the 2nd half of game 4 we went to him about 8 plays in a row and he showed a flash of his potential and for a few minutes he was the best and most dominant player on the floor (yes, that includes Anthony Davis). I know it's an incredibly small sample size but it gave a glimpse of two things. The first is that Nurk is not unplayable. The second is that having a dominant big to feed the ball too when times are tough for our guards could potentially unlock the entire offense to a level we haven't seen in awhile.

For the entire series, I felt Terry under utilized Nurk. At the first sign of NOP going small, Terry yanked him. Fuck that! The opponent goes small, you FEED THE BEAST. Make them pay.

Also, the Dame/Nurk high pick and roll played right onto NOP's defensive strategy. It let them double team Dame with two All Defense 1st teamers 25 - 30 feet from the basket. They suffocated our offense at the point of attack. They should have parked Nurk on the low block, to keep Anthony Davis as far away from Dame as possible.

BNM

 

[oldmangrouch]

I give Nurk a pass because in the 2nd half of game 4 we went to him about 8 plays in a row and he showed a flash of his potential and for a few minutes he was the best and most dominant player on the floor (yes, that includes Anthony Davis). I know it's an incredibly small sample size but it gave a glimpse of two things. The first is that Nurk is not unplayable. The second is that having a dominant big to feed the ball too when times are tough for our guards could potentially unlock the entire offense to a level we haven't seen in awhile.

I would agree that when Nurk is at his best he is a game changer. If he can stay on the court and play at that level consistently he gives the Blazers a third high-impact player.

Just to be clear - which I apparently haven't been on this topic - I never he said he couldn't become a top center, just that he wasn't there yet.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I would agree that when Nurk is at his best he is a game changer. If he can stay on the court and play at that level consistently he gives the Blazers a third high-impact player.

Just to be clear - which I apparently haven't been on this topic - I never he said he couldn't become a top center, just that he wasn't there yet.

He's already one of the best defensive centers in the league. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, he was second to DPOY Rudy Gobert, in DRPM among all centers.

And, this:

"On defense, Portland runs everyone off the arc and relies on Nurkic to protect the rim. Opponents shot only 55 percent at the basket -- the lowest mark in the league".

BNM