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Since the calendar turned to 2019, Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic has been tearing through the NBA. 17.2 ppg with 11.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks besides have pushed the Bosnian Beast to the fringes of NBA All-Star discussion. Jackson Frank of Fansided profiled the phenomenon today, leaving Nurkic looking even shinier than the stats indicate.
Frank quotes New York Knicks Head Coach David Fizdale singing Nurkic’s praises:
“He’s huge. He is a mountain man and you can’t move him,” Knicks head coach David Fizdale said. “The guy is so nimble. He’s never really off balance. He sees the floor well. He finishes great around the rim with his touch. He’s just a real difficult cover.”
He surmises that Nurkic has found elusive happiness in Portland this season:
Beyond the production, Nurkic radiates a joy. He shimmies and cha-chas after swishing 3s in warmups, has moonlighted as the team photographer and dons jumbo-sized ushanka hats in frigid climates.
The article touches on the center’s rocky past and his redemption, which comes not just from scoring more, but becoming a complete player. The article is well worth it for fans of the Bosnian Beast.