The Denver Nuggets are three games under .500, currently 11th in the Western Conference standings, they’re allowing more points per game than 24 other NBA teams, and even though we haven’t hit the All-Star break, the team’s practically eliminated from the playoffs already.
So why is this Nuggets fan so damn excited?
Well, to be frank, there is a lot to be excited about because the team’s future is flashing before our eyes, and it’s quite a sight to see. The future I’m talking about is rookie center Jusuf Nurkic, who was looking like a draft steal (he was picked 16th) even before the Nuggets named him starting center after the Timofey Mozgov trade.
Notably, the Nuggets haven’t seen a decrease in productivity since Mozgov’s departure. In fact, after the first two games of the Nurkic-era the Nuggets are undefeated, and their 20-year-old Bosnian starting center has put up 12 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks a game. He’s done it on 55 percent shooting and all the while showing he can hang with the likes of the Demarcus Cousins type centers of the NBA…
I admit, 12 points and six rebounds aren’t All-Star stats, but those are very encouraging numbers for the Nuggets given they’re coming from Nurkic’s first two career starts. The 20-year-old’s two starts have shown us that he is skilled beyond his age, and those numbers are in just 21.9 minutes a game making Nurkic’s initial job as a starter even more impressive.
Nurkic’s seasonal averages of 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1,3 blocks in 14.1 minutes don’t scream “star” either. However, Nurkic’s Player Efficiency Rating (a stat designed to measure a player’s overall contribution) is 19.6, which is the highest rating of all NBA rookies this season. For comparison, Andrew Wiggins, the leading rookie of the year candidate, has a 12.0 PER.
PER will never be the lone classification of a star, but Nurkic has already shown he possesses some of the other traits that make a star. First, he’s making his team better as a whole when he’s on the floor, especially on defense. The Nuggets on the season allow opposing teams to score 104.4 points per 100 possessions. When Nurkic is on the floor that number drops a remarkable 9.6 points, and the Nuggets as a team allow just 94.8 over 100 possessions, according to NBA.com.
The 6’11”, 280-pound rookie’s impact isn’t limited to the defensive side of the ball. The team’s offensive efficiency increases with him on the floor as well — they are putting up 104.1 points in 100 possessions with Nurkic on the floor, but only 102.5 on the season as a whole.
No wonder I am so damn excited! A 20-year-old center who is making the team better on defense AND on offense? It’s exactly what the Nuggets needed, it’s an infusion of great young talent, it’s a rookie that can rally the fan base to LET GO of the George Karl era, and Nurkic has the intangibles that makes an NBA star as well — swagger, size, confidence, and coachability.
“I think, in Nurkic’s mind, he should have been starting since he got here,” Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson told the Denver Post. “That’s how much confidence he has in himself.”
Confidence is contagious, and in just 25 games this season Nurkic has made me confident enough to say he’s the Nuggets most promising rookie since Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Confidence is exciting, as is the fact that Nurkic’s working with head coach Brian Shaw who has was coaching Roy Hibbert and Andrew Bynum in their best years. Confidence is also fun, and even though it’s just the beginning, the Nurkic era in Denver has already been a blast to watch.