Portland Trail Blazers: 4 players who have stepped up in NBA restart

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 09: Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers talks with Damian Lillard #0 and CJ McCollum #3 during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 09, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images) /

2. Jusuf Nurkic

As was the case with Carmelo Anthony, there is an interesting backdrop to Jusuf Nurkic as well. You see, he wasn’t in the rotation before the NBA restart due to a leg injury he sustained in late March of 2019.

While Nurkic was enjoying a career season in 2018-19 (15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest), the injury kept him on the shelf all season. Considering that the Trail Blazers’ big man had not played a game in 18 months, it would have been reasonable to question how effective he could be after being away from the court for an extended period of time.

Well, Nurkic has answered the question in resounding fashion. Just ask the Houston Rockets and the Boston Celtics. Against Boston, Nurkic put together a stat line of 30 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Unfortunately for the Trail Blazers, it wasn’t enough to prevent Boston from coming away with a 128-124 win.

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In the team’s third game of the restart — an outing against the Rockets on Aug. 4 — all Nurkic did was finish with a double-double that included 18 points and 19 rebounds, helping Portland come away with a 110-102 win.

Overall, Nurkic is averaging 17 points,10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 blocks per contest on 46.7 percent shooting from the floor. In other words, the Trail Blazers have missed him big time.

While Anthony’s resurgence is noteworthy, having a player come back from a gruesome leg injury and average a double-double following an 18-month absence is no small feat, which is why Nurkic is No. 2 on this list.

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