He was injured on February 1, after only a few minutes in Memphis, in the left calf. We could almost add “definitively” since Jusuf Nurkic had been hampered by this area for several days before, forcing him in particular to leave his teammates against Utah, before blowing the following match against Toronto.
But the evil was deep and despite the efforts of the player, after this meeting against the Grizzlies, the interior of Portland will remain stuck in the infirmary for 14 matches and five weeks.
“Sometimes we take a risk. And basically, as long as we can play, it’s fine, ” does he notice for The Oregonian. “Believe me, I really wanted to come back, but sometimes you have to listen to what you’re told. »
The Blazers were indeed cautious with the former Denver player. Even in the face of numerous defeats (eight in his absence) and his frustration.
“It sucks. We always think we can make a difference and I wanted to play again. But I knew that was not possible. It was the safest solution. We are finally at the end and I can concentrate on what is happening now. »
A timely return for the last weeks of competition
Jusuf Nurkic has therefore returned to the field in Boston, with a small game since it is still carefully managed by the staff: 5 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes.
“I was a little rusty, but my calf is fine. I’m mostly irritated by my minutes. It’s hard to have rhythm because I don’t play long. I would have liked to be more on the field. I can’t wait for this limited playtime to go away. »
Twelfth in the Western Conference, Portland lost to the 2022 finalists, but the race for the “play-in” is still relevant since New Orleans, tenth, is only one victory ahead in the standings. The return of Jusuf Nurkic is therefore timely for the troops of Chauncey Billups.
“We are obviously happy to see him back. He was pretty good, a little rusty for sure, but his presence in the racket changes things for us. remarks the coach. “It’s going to take a bit of time for him to get up to speed, but it’s good that he’s back,” confirms Jerami Grant. “He is present in attack and able to take rebounds. It’s huge for us. »
| Jusuf Nurkic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2014-15 | DEN | 62 | 18 | 44.6 | 0.0 | 63.6 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 6.9 |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 32 | 17 | 41.7 | 0.0 | 61.6 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 8.2 |
| 2016-17* | All Teams | 65 | 21 | 50.7 | 0.0 | 57.1 | 2.4 | 4.8 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 10.2 |
| 2016-17* | DEN | 45 | 18 | 50.7 | 0.0 | 49.6 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 8.0 |
| 2016-17* | ORP | 20 | 29 | 50.8 | 0.0 | 66.0 | 3.3 | 7.1 | 10.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 15.2 |
| 2017-18 | ORP | 79 | 26 | 50.5 | 0.0 | 63.0 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 9.0 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 14.3 |
| 2018-19 | ORP | 72 | 27 | 50.8 | 10.3 | 77.3 | 3.4 | 7.0 | 10.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 15.6 |
| 2019-20 | ORP | 8 | 32 | 49.5 | 20.0 | 88.6 | 2.9 | 7.4 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 17.6 |
| 2020-21 | ORP | 37 | 24 | 51.4 | 40.0 | 61.9 | 2.3 | 6.7 | 9.0 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 11.5 |
| 2021-22 | ORP | 56 | 28 | 53.5 | 26.8 | 69.0 | 3.0 | 8.1 | 11.1 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 15.0 |
| 2022-23 | ORP | 45 | 27 | 52.4 | 39.0 | 68.6 | 2.3 | 7.2 | 9.4 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 13.8 |
| Total | 456 | 24 | 50.2 | 29.8 | 67.4 | 2.5 | 6.1 | 8.6 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 12.4 | |
