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Nuggets’ Jusuf Nurkic prepares for Bosnia Training Camp

By Drew Albee

Jan 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) shoots the ball prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) shoots the ball prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) shoots the ball prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) shoots the ball prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /

Earlier this month Bosnia and Herzegovina’s head coach Damir Mulaomerovic spoke with FIBA.com about the players he has selected and his team’s preparation for the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers beginning on August 31. One of the players set to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina is Denver Nuggets’ big man, Jusuf Nurkic, according to Mulamerovic.

The coach appears optimistic about both Nurkic and his squad’s chances at the upcoming tournament.

"“Both of our NBA players, Mirza Teletovic and Jusuf Nurkic, are coming back to play. We also have a lot of established veterans and some talented young players. We have guys with quality who want to prove themselves. I think this is the best team we can have right now, I believe fully in this team. I have been following everybody and I am convinced we will have a pretty strong team for this qualification campaign.”"

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s team will begin training camp sometime in August. Nurkic, also known as the Bosnian Beast, and his squad make up part of the three-team Group C. The other two teams that compose Group C are Russia and Sweden.

Nurkic and his teammates travel to Russia on August 31. The Bosnia and Herzegovina side will host Sweden and Russia on September 3 and 10 respectively, before their final scheduled qualifying game in Sweden on September 14.

The EuroBasket 2017 qualification features 27 teams broken into six groups of four and the aforementioned group of three. The winners of each group advance and the four best second-placed teams will qualify to the Final Stage of the tournament.

Excitement is high for Nurkic to join his national team and see his first significant action for the squad. He played sparingly in 2012 as an 18-year-old, but is set to make a sizable impact this summer.

Following Nurkic on social media this offseason has been a treat (do it, Twitter: @nurkic23), as the Bosnian big man is sharing how hard he is working to enter next season ready to compete for the starting center spot he lost to Nikola Jokic during the 2015-16 season. Tweets like the one below have been blowing up my news feed all summer long and it is apparent that Nurkic has a chip on his shoulder with these claims:

The 21-year-old Bosnian Beast lost the majority of last season to a knee injury, playing a mere 32 games. In just 17.1 minutes per game last year, Nurkic averaged 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, but seemed to struggle around the rim — an area he excelled at during his great rookie campaign.

According to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, Nurkic has lost 35 pounds working with Nuggets’ trainer Steve Hess this offseason. Nurkic, in Dempsey’s piece, says he’s now feeling much better:

"“I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel great. I’m excited about everything coming up.”"

Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Nurkic will join fellow members of the United Nations of Nuggets, Jokic (Serbia), Joffrey Lauvergne (France) and Danilo Gallinari (Italy) in attempting to build momentum by playing for their national teams this summer in advance of the upcoming NBA season. With qualifying games leading right up to the around the time Nuggets’ training camp this kicks off this year, Nurkic should be able to hit the ground running and make a season-long impact for the Nuggets.

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Jokic and Lauvergne both helped their teams qualify for the Rio Olympics next month.

With a successful showing in this huge European tournament, maybe coach Mike Malone considers giving the Nurkic-Jokic combination more minutes next season. Maybe Nurkic will continue to serve as the defensive anchor for the Nuggets bench unit. Either way, playing in the EuroBasket Qualifiers will give Nurkic valuable experience heading into his third NBA season.

As the Nuggets were selected as one of the two teams participating in the NBA’s showcase game in London this year, their status as an international favorite has been cemented.

Keep it tuned to Nugg Love for more news about Nurkic, the rest of your Denver Nuggets and from around the rest of the NBA.

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