For the first three years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, Jusuf Nurkic demonstrated an offensive game typical of bulky seven-footers. His portfolio included backing down opponents on the block and using drop-steps to gain critical space in the paint. This style of play helped a sputtering, center-free offense expand beyond starting guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, propelling Portland to the playoffs in 2016-17.
With the dawn of the 2017-18 season, Portland’s offense has developed a new wrinkle centering on their big man.