Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic goes up to block L.A. Clippers guard Austin Rivers’
shot in a game on March 27. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic will not play on Wednesday night against Memphis, the second straight game he’s missed due to illness, but overall he’s having exactly the kind of finish he desperately needed to have in what has been a rollercoaster season.
In his last seven games, Nurkic has averaged 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. So, yes, he’s filling up the stat sheet. Perhaps most importantly is Nurkic’s shooting percentage of 55.6, which is much more in line with what post players should be shooting.
A strong finish is imperative. Nurkic missed the first 33 games of the season due to offseason knee surgery and has struggled to become a permanent part of the rotation ever since. In order to be in the right frame of mind this summer, Nurkic had to string together a series of successful outings to end the year. He’s in the midst of doing just that. And, because this is reality, if the Nuggets want include him in any potential trade packages this offseason, he’s got to have film showing his health and his potential.
Lately, he’s showing both.
He’s been removed from the Nuggets injury report due to the knee. He’d been a mainstay on it due to persistent soreness in his surgically-repaired left patellar tendon. Nuggets coach Michael Malone has not only addressed Nurkic’s willingness to work hard, stay professional and take advantage of the opportunities given to him of late, but has noted Nurkic’s improved health as well.
A shot chart of Jusuf Nurkic’s last seven games. (Via NBA)
Defensively, Nurkic’s worth has never been in question. He always has been a huge difference maker in protecting the rim. But his improved shooting percentage — he’s a career 44 percent shooter — has been built on a more solid foundation of catching the ball in the post, taking his time and then turning strong to the rim for layups and dunks as opposed to the quick flips and floaters that have been a big chunk of his offense in his young career.
And then consistently rolling to the rim out of pick-and-roll situations. When Nurkic sets a screen — even if he doesn’t make contact — he creates a ton of separation between the Nuggets’ ball-handler and the guard defending on the play. It almost always results in an instant 2-on-1 going downhill toward the rim. He’s scored on a many of those actions, taking the pass as he’s cutting to the rim and, again, going up strong. And his jump shot has been falling. Nurkic is 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) in jump shots during this span.
He scored a career-high 18 points in the Nuggets’ win over the Lakers on March 25, and then eclipsed that in the next game, putting up 19 points in the loss to the L.A. Clippers. Illness has kept him from playing at home against Dallas and will again in Memphis, but he appears to be taking a turn for the better.
The Nuggets are a +6.3 in his last seven. They have a record of 4-3 in those games.
“Going back to that game against Washington, Nurk has done a good job for us,” Malone said. “He’s been very solid on both ends of the floor for us. The thing that excites me most is that his knee is really responding well to all of games and minutes he’s playing. There has not bee a setback, which I think is the most encouraging thing. He’s got more games to keep proving himself and playing at a high level.”
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
