3 questions for the Portland Trail Blazers if the season is over

Is Jusuf Nurkic the missing link?

If the Trail Blazers are willing to acknowledge that Lillard and McCollum as a duo aren’t enough to propel them through the Western Conference, they have to ask the hard question about Nurkic.

Is the big man, coming off a year where he sat out its entirety, enough to wager the season on?

He played 72 games in 2018-2019 and posted career-highs across the board. Nurkic averaged 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1 steal, and 1.4 blocks per game over that span.

The “Bosnian Beast” was a force on offense and defense, and for only $12 million on the year, will likely be a piece of the core going forward. He’s on too valuable a deal to not utilize, but the other side to that coin is that Portland could receive a strong package in return for Nurkic.

The Trail Blazers have to decide whether or not they still have a “Big 3” in Portland. If not, next season is too vital a year to walk in empty-handed. That starts with evaluating Nurkic, his rehab, and how rusty he’ll be when he returns to the floor next season.

The Portland Trail Blazers are one of few contenders who may have lost more than they would have gained with the NBA season being cut short.

It cost them another playoff appearance, the chance to see Jusuf Nurkic return to the court, and another chance to evaluate Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as a duo.

Before the opening tip of the 2020-2021 campaign, the Trail Blazers will need to prioritize these three questions as they continue their quest in bringing another championship to Portland.