Denver Nuggets Mid-Term Grades: Jusuf Nurkic
Jan 9, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) holds his jersey after being called for his sixth and final foul during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Denver Nuggets defeated the Sacramento Kings 118-108. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As we approach the midway point of the 2014-15 NBA season, it’s the perfect time to evaluate the performance of each player to date. This week, Nugg Love editor S.E. Shepherd will be handing out mid-term grades for each player currently on the Nuggets’ active roster. Next up: Jusuf Nurkic.
A-. Rookie Jusuf Nurkic has been the biggest surprise of this season for the Nuggets, and might be one of the best stories to emerge from this year’s NBA Draft. Nurkic quickly made a name for himself in the early part of the season, but leading up to and following the Timofey Mozgov trade, the Bosnian big man has stepped into the starting center role and his game is constantly improving. If he continues on this trajectory, Nurkic could become a core piece of Denver’s future.. C. Denver Nuggets. JUSUF NURKIC
Player: Jusuf Nurkic
Key Stats: In 14.9 minutes per game as a rookie, Nurkic is averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers per game. During a stretch between December 30 and January 14, Nurkic averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game.
Best Game: Nurkic’s best game this season came against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 3. He scored 11 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. He added 5 huge blocks in a game the Nuggets won by 29 points.
Worst Game: Nurkic’s worst game as a rookie came earlier this month when the Nuggets faced the Dallas Mavericks on January 16. In nearly 17 minutes of action, Nurkic only managed to score 2 points on 1 of 7 shooting though he did corral 6 rebounds. The Nuggets lost the game by 8 points.
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Bottom Line: In case you couldn’t tell, we are big Jusuf Nurkic fans here at Nugg Love. The kid is an absolute joy to watch on the court, and everything about his game is entertaining. He is extremely raw from a basketball perspective, especially on the offensive end of the court. But his size, strength, tenacity and attitude make up for a lot of the areas of his game that are still developing.
It’s been a long time since the Nuggets have had a rookie who is this much fun to watch and appears to have such a high ceiling. When you consider he is just 20 years old, if the Nuggets can find the right set of coaches to help him improve his offensive skill set and learn to defend in a physical manner without fouling so much, and then surround him with players that compliment his abilities, Denver could have themselves a pretty special player by the time he’s 25.
I’ve said it before, but for the first half of the season, all signs point to Nurkic being the steal of the 2014 NBA Draft. Sure, other rookies get more run in the media, but Nurkic’s fandom is growing at a grassroots level and it still feels like he’s our little secret. But just like that band you loved five years before they blew up nationally, the basketball world at large is going to discover Jusuf Nurkic and he has the potential to be a star in this league. He may never be a 20+ points a game scorer, but his combination of attitude and ferociousness make him a marketing team’s dream come true.
The future is very bright for Nurkic, and assuming the Nuggets can figure out how to develop him and build around him, Denver fans could be witnessing the birth of a star in our little cowtown.