NURKIĆ MAKES TOP 10 OF ESPN'S INTERNATIONAL PLAYER RANKINGS

[SlyPokerDog]

by Casey Holdahl
Posted: Oct 30, 2017

It’s been an uneven start to the season for Jusuf Nurkić. In his first six games, the 7-0 center from Bosnia and Herzegovina is averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 blocks in 26.0 minutes, which aren’t bad numbers by any stretch, but he’s shooting just 39 percent from the field and is averaging 3.7 turnovers and 3.5 fouls per game. So there’s still quite a bit of room for improvement.

But even though he hasn’t duplicated this season his performance during his first 20 games with the Trail Blazers, at just 23 years old, Nurkić is already one of the best international players in the NBA according to ESPN. In their most recent ranking of players born outside of the United States, Nurkić comes in at No. 9, which is 12-spots better than his ranking last season…

Nurkic showed flashes that he's capable of becoming the third cog the Blazers so badly need. An untimely injury and doomed opening-round matchup with the Warriors in the playoffs last season may have delayed enthusiasm, but there's reason to be optimistic in the Northwest as the Blazers outscored teams by 11.3 points per 100 possessions in more than 400 minutes with Nurkic on the floor alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. That pair was a whopping 15 points per 100 possessions worse when sharing the floor without Nurkic.​

At No. 9, Nurkić comes in ahead of Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams at No. 10 and behind Boston’s Al Horford at No. 8. Nurkić also ranks higher than the likes of Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons (No. 22), Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson (No. 19), Toronto’s Serge Ibaka (No. 17), Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins (No. 14) and Miami’s Goran Dragic. ESPN’s Top 3 internationals are Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Nurkić former teammate.

http://www.nba.com/blazers/forwardcenter/nurkic-makes-top-10-espns-international-player-rankings

 

[Jon]

but but but.....

http://www.sportstwo.com/threads/nurkic-is-the-new-crabbe-leonard.322388/

 

[GrandJury]

I just hope this guy doesn’t cost max money

 

[SportsAndWhine]

I just hope this guy doesn’t cost max money

It'll depend way more on what he does in April than what he does in October.

 

[kjironman1]

I just hope this guy doesn’t cost max money

I don't see a max in the future for him at this point. A real good contract yes. Max no.

 

[Strenuus]

I just hope this guy doesn’t cost max money

You do realize, given how common sense works in the world, that he only gets max money if he actually earns it, right? So if he gets it, that means HOLY SMOKES HE DID GOOD FOR US.


Nice try, though. Back to the drawing board, I suppose.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I don't see a max in the future for him at this point. A real good contract yes. Max no.

Probably in between 4/70 and 4/98

 

[BBert]

First the bad: Nurk's hands of stone and turnovers were evidenced last season. He has no touch around the basket, at all. He just tosses the ball in the general direction of the hoop. Sometimes it goes in; usually it doesn't. He often tries to play too fast; and he seems to play better when he slows down. His focus at the foul line isn't great. It seems like half of his fouls are of the stupid bonehead variety. The decision making on some of his passes is not good.

The good: I expect Nurk will improve in all those areas over the next year. He just turned 23 years old, and has a few more years before he hits his peak. He seems to want to be good; and he seems to be willing to work. Nurk looks to have the size, strength, tools, ego and work ethic to become a top big man in the league. His outside shot and touch look good, so that should improve. His passing is stellar, even if his decision making throwing some of them is bad.

I can't even think of the last time we had a center as good as Nurkic is right now; and he's only going to get better.

Wish we could sign Zach Randolph to maybe teach him some touch around the basket though.

 

[KingSpeed]

First the bad: Nurk's hands of stone and turnovers were evidenced last season. He has no touch around the basket, at all. He just tosses the ball in the general direction of the hoop. Sometimes it goes in; usually it doesn't. He often tries to play too fast; and he seems to play better when he slows down. His focus at the foul line isn't great. It seems like half of his fouls are of the stupid bonehead variety. The decision making on some of his passes is not good.

The good: I expect Nurk will improve in all those areas over the next year. He just turned 23 years old, and has a few more years before he hits his peak. He seems to want to be good; and he seems to be willing to work. Nurk looks to have the size, strength, tools, ego and work ethic to become a top big man in the league. His outside shot and touch look good, so that should improve. His passing is stellar, even if his decision making throwing some of them is bad.

I can't even think of the last time we had a center as good as Nurkic is right now; and he's only going to get better.

Wish we could sign Zach Randolph to maybe teach him some touch around the basket though.

Robin Lopez was pretty good for us. Before that, you got Joel who was limited, and then Sabonis.

 

[Chris Craig]

Nikola beat him out? What a jokic.

 

[BBert]

Robin Lopez was pretty good for us. Before that, you got Joel who was limited, and then Sabonis.

I certainly thought about Robin, and an argument could be made for him. Sabonis was a looooonnng time ago

 

[GrandJury]

Probably in between 4/70 and 4/98

4/70 would be godsend

I’m afraid somebody will fuck us and give him max for his “potential” then we have no choice to match

 

[SlyPokerDog]

If Nurk finishes in the top 10 for points and rebounds for centers he will get a max contract.

Currently he's 18th in points.
26th in rebounds.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Maybe it's me getting old, but I've lost track. Is ESPN reliable? I've heard both ways....by the same people, depending on the article. I just want to know if I should be excited or not.

 

[Mediocre Man]

4/70 would be godsend

I’m afraid somebody will fuck us and give him max for his “potential” then we have no choice to match

Crabbe, Leonar_, etc, prove we have a choice

 

[Mr. Robot]

If Nurk finishes in the top 10 for points and rebounds for centers he will get a max contract.

Currently he's 18th in points.
26th in rebounds.

stats arent everything, although I expect him to have at least 15/10 this season

theres other valuable things about him, like: defense, making teammates better, great fit for the team... free agents dont want to come here, so youre gonna want to pay the man you have, his current quality and upside, and he can use other contracts around the league for argument, or our own ones, like Leonard, Turner or Crabbe

of course, you can offer him max or lesser contract, or you can wait till he gets other offers, whether its max or lesser contract, then you match it, but the thing is: do you really want him to be unhappy about his contract, is it worth a risk

so far his attitute in Portland was great, but Im not sure that couldnt change...

 

[handiman]

First the bad: Nurk's hands of stone and turnovers were evidenced last season. He has no touch around the basket, at all. He just tosses the ball in the general direction of the hoop. Sometimes it goes in; usually it doesn't.

Really? I thought he showed a tremendous touch around the basket last year, much like Ed Davis two years ago. It always felt a bit lucky, but those quick, sneaky shots went in at a high enough clip, I have to attribute it to skill.

 

[kjironman1]

If Nurk finishes in the top 10 for points and rebounds for centers he will get a max contract.

Currently he's 18th in points.
26th in rebounds.

And rightfully so. I would be fine with that. Top 10 in both would be awesome.

 

[Mr. Robot]

If Nurk finishes in the top 10 for points and rebounds for centers he will get a max contract.

Currently he's 18th in points.
26th in rebounds.

where did he rank after those 20 games with us

 

[SportsAndWhine]

Nurkic is per 36 minutes bout the same as last year save for three big things: he’s down 1.7 offensive rebounds, he’s up 1.9 shots, and his FG% is down about 11%... we’re seeing the growing pains of a former hustle garbage man becoming a guy who gets plays called for him.

You could say he should go back to bring a garbage man but we’re already leading the league in offensive rebounding so there’s plenty of garbage men doing work right now. He just needs to calm down a bit. By March he and Stotts will know what his real role is. It’ll be just in time too.

 

[BBert]

Really? I thought he showed a tremendous touch around the basket last year, much like Ed Davis two years ago. It always felt a bit lucky, but those quick, sneaky shots went in at a high enough clip, I have to attribute it to skill.

I do recall him making some wild shots last year on some of his dives to the basket. So far this season he can't make a bunny or a tip in. I certainly hope he starts making those again, only a little more under control.

 

[handiman]

I do recall him making some wild shots last year on some of his dives to the basket. So far this season he can't make a bunny or a tip in. I certainly hope he starts making those again, only a little more under control.

I'm probably in the minority, but I felt it was a bad idea as soon as I heard he was trying to slim down. His weight wasn't his problem last year, it was his conditioning. You can be fit and muscular... I also don't think his weight was the cause of his leg injury. That was the sort of thing you expect to see from someone starving themselves of nutrients, i.e., trying to drop weight fast. See a pattern developing?

His weight and mobility is what made him special, IMO. The former allowed him to knock people off balance while remaining centered, and the latter allowed him to use that body control to make tough shots look easy. Now he's just mobile and doesn't have the power to put it to use.

 

[GrandJury]

I'm probably in the minority, but I felt it was a bad idea as soon as I heard he was trying to slim down. His weight wasn't his problem last year, it was his conditioning. You can be fit and muscular... I also don't think his weight was the cause of his leg injury. That was the sort of thing you expect to see from someone starving themselves of nutrients, i.e., trying to drop weight fast. See a pattern developing?

His weight and mobility is what made him special, IMO. The former allowed him to knock people off balance while remaining centered, and the latter allowed him to use that body control to make tough shots look easy. Now he's just mobile and doesn't have the power to put it to use.

It has to be this. Somebody just can’t fall off like this. I just hope last year wasn’t a Linsanity type of thing with Nurk

 

[handiman]

It has to be this. Somebody just can’t fall off like this. I just hope last year wasn’t a Linsanity type of thing with Nurk

As long as Nurkic doesn't grow dreads and raise the ire of Kenyon Martin, we should be fine.

 

[GDiama]

Maybe it's me getting old, but I've lost track. Is ESPN reliable? I've heard both ways....by the same people, depending on the article. I just want to know if I should be excited or not.

Those rankings are a complete mess. They make no sense.