Before the NBA resumed in the bubble of Disney World, Jusuf Nurkic had played just five playoff games in his career. In those five games, he averaged 9.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 47.6% shooting – not the numbers that Portland Trail Blazers fans are used to seeing today.
What fans are used to, even after returning from injury to his leg, Nurkic has 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks with remarkable stability in the bubble. But the two postseason games against the Los Angeles Lakers did not have the same consistency.
In Game One, he collected 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter alone and finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. But in Game Two, when most of Portland’s players underperformed, he collected just nine points and eight rebounds. Remarkably, he has so far only five total assists.
The Lakers tout one of the biggest rosters in the league because Anthony Davis does not want to play center. With him at the power forward and one of Dwight Howard or Javale McGee on the floor for much of the 48 minutes, Nurkic has a lot of physical competition in the paint.
As a result, his shooting, handball and playing became much more important. So far, no one is quite at the level they need to be for Portland to potentially complete the transfer.
Despite a solid 16-point outing from the first game, Nurkic shoots a combined 8/21 from the field in the series. He was deliberately left on the perimeter and shot away, attempting five three-pointers – two of which he made – and several midrange jumpers. Those shots are fun to watch as they sag, but historically they do not see a high percentage for the big man.
At the other end, the Lakers compensated for bad outside shots by crashing the offensive glass. They beat Portland 31-15 through the first two games, leading to too many second-chance chances. That’s not all Nurkic’s fault, but especially in Game Two he saw a slow step to catch rebounds and let Davis get himself through confidence early.
The most crucial aspect of Nurkic’s game that needs improvement to compete with the Lakers is his play. LA hedged or blitz Damian Lillard not as hard as expected in Game One, but they brought out a second defender more often in Game Two to upset him before the offseason began.
Lillard acknowledged the Lakers were trying to truncate him in certain places on the floor and had this to say after the game:
‘I just heard them shout’ box, box, box ‘, and a man would come, and they would try to keep me in an environment … I think I should give it up and trust the pass out to score and pay them for it. ”
When the double team arrives, Nurkic often positions himself at the free throw line as the elbow is extended to a release valve. And when he sets up a screen in the middle of the double team, he still serves as the release valve on a short roll, with the ball wound up in a similar place. so passing Lillard is called mostly going to his trusted big man.
Where Nurkic finds these fits provides more space but less momentum than he is used to having as a roller. As such, he will have to attack the course from the dribble and at the same time explore the wings and corners to find open teammates who track down or cut. Nurkic, though a much improved passer, does not find his teammates as much success in moving. He is a stationary passerby.
If he does not surrender to the wings or get to the rim, he will be in a dead zone on the court. Last year, Nurkic shot 38.6% in non-restricted area paint; among 31 centers that have visited more than 100 such shots this season, he recommended 25th.
Even as wingers like CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. below their season averages shooting of Nurkic’s kickouts, the offense’s points per possession increase significantly as they try three instead of twos. From an analytical point of view, this exchange has significantly affected Portland’s offense.
Passing Nurkic also makes it easier on Lillard and McCollum to score the dribble. The center can initiate the crime at the top of the arch by finding its guards who slalom through screens in front of a three-point wire or cut to the rim. That’s the type of stationary passing that he’s more comfortable performing, and the first quarter of Game One illustrated the success that style of crime can have.
Nurkic was probably Portland’s second most important player during the seeding games – his contributions were absolutely essential for the team to reach the playoffs. That remains the truth in this first-round series, potentially even more so with how much LA relied on rebounding and points in the paint. If he can improve his check selection, stay strong on the glass, and find open teammates when the Lakers sell out on Lillard, the Blazers will be in good shape.
