3 takeaways from Portland Trail Blazers’ first 10 games

2. The frontcourt has stepped up

Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins are two players that the Trail Blazers have always been very excited about. They willingly took Nurkic off the Denver Nuggets‘ hands back in February 2017, hoping he could turn into a presence in the middle.

Meanwhile, they also moved up in the 2017 NBA Draft to acquire Zach Collins, banking on the possibility that his skill-set would turn him into a major contributor. It seems that both gambles are paying off early in the season, as both bigs are playing some of the best basketball of their pro careers.

Nurkic is currently averaging 15.3 points and a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game. These numbers match the 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game he averaged when he finished out the 2016-17 season with the Blazers.

The difference, however, is that Nurkic is putting up his 2018-19 numbers in less time than in 2017-18, as he only averages 24.9 minutes per game. On a per 36 minutes basis, Nurkic is actually averaging 22.1 points and 14.6 rebounds!

Meanwhile, Zach Collins has delivered in an expanded role as the first big off of the bench. He is averaging 10 points and a team-high 1.6 blocks per game while also shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range. Collins worked to improve his strength and shooting over the summer, and the work seems to be paying off.

Nurkic’s and Collins’ success has given this Blazers team true balance on both ends of the floor. If they can continue to deliver consistently at this level, then Portland will be a difficult team to face throughout the season.