Portland Trail Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic needs to end the season strong

The Portland Trail Blazers have won 11 straight games. Portland is currently in third place in the Western Conference. This is the best Blazers team we have seen in years. This summer, Jusuf Nurkic is going to be a free agent. What does his future hold with the team after the season?

Jusuf Nurkic has been the starter all season at center, but hasn’t been the star player the Portland Trail Blazers, and their fans hoped he would develop into after his outstanding 20-game performance to end last season.

When the Blazers traded for Nurkic last season, he came in and made an impact right away. In those 20 games played, Nurkic averaged 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. He helped the Blazers secure the eighth seed in the playoffs.

Rip City expected a lot from Nurkic coming into this season and was hoping he would take his game to the next level. Unfortunately for both Nurkic and the Blazers, he has yet to do that at a consistent rate.

He has his moments on offense when he looks unstoppable, and then other moments where you just have no idea what he is doing. Nurkic has been solid on defense with his rim protection, but has trouble defending guards out on the wing and switching in pick-and-rolls.

This is why Terry Stotts has been going with Ed Davis and rookie Zach Collins in the fourth quarter to close out games.

This season, Nurkic is averaging 26.2 minutes, 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 assist and 1.2 blocks per game. The 23-year-old center is on the last year of his rookie deal and will be a restricted free agent in July. If Nurkic played this entire season as he did in those 20 games, a maximum offer sheet would be waiting for him after the season.