No revelation has been more dramatic during the Portland Trail Blazers 2020 scrimmage schedule than the resurgence of center Jusuf Nurkic. After a year and a half layoff due to injury, Nurkic has stormed the court with agile defense, compact offense, and plenty of energy.
The happy return casts a long shadow on the tenure of replacement center Hassan Whiteside. Though he averaged an impressive 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocked shots on 62% shooting, Whiteside did not improve Portland’s overall defense and the Blazers struggled to an anemic 29-32 record with him in the starting lineup.