Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic is off to a bumpy start to the 2018-19 season. The big fella has produced solid numbers in Portland’s three games, but his fit on the defensive end is still a work in progress. In Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Wizards, Nurkic was put to the test on the perimeter. The results were far from ideal. Washington forward Markieff Morris torched the Blazers by going 6-10 from beyond the arc.
Nurkic’s place in the modern NBA is far from settled. Several teams are committing to small-ball lineups, which could leave the Bosnian Beast on an island for long stretches.