Portland Trail Blazers: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season

3. Will Jusuf Nurkic make a leap in his development?

The Portland Trail Blazers’ biggest acquisition of the summer was for a player that was already on their roster. Portland re-signed restricted free agent Jusuf Nurkic to a four-year, $48 million deal. The last year of the deal is partially guaranteed.

Nurkic finished his first full season with the Blazers averaging 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 50.5 percent from the field and 63.0 percent from the free throw line. Those are solid numbers, but the year was much more erratic than his final stat line let on.

There were games where Nurkic didn’t play with full effort, instances in the post where he would settle for wild shots instead of using his footwork to get a better look, and times where he was dominated on defense by more skilled centers.

For instance, he was practically eaten alive dealing with Anthony Davis in last year’s playoffs. Nurk averaged 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in that series while Davis reeled off 33.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

However, last season can serve as another stepping stone in the development process. Nurkic will be 24 years old by the beginning of season, so presumably there is still room for growth. If he can bump his averages up to 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game — his averages during his first half-season with the Blazers — that will be a step in the right direction.

Jusuf Nurkic is entering a long-term deal that leaves him financially secure in an organization he is happy with. As he enters a new season, Nurkic is in just the right environment to turn the corner in 2018-19.