5. Jusuf Nurkic
Jusuf Nurkic struggled mightily defending Davis and LA in Round 1. The Portland Trail Blazers’ defensive rating was 120.8 in his presence and 106.8 when he sat. This was a trend that carried over from the seeding games where, despite impressive counting numbers, Nurkic clearly still needs time to fully make his way back from the leg injury suffered in March of 2019.
Most teams don’t throw a lot of traditional size at Davis. It’s a trade-off that swaps height for mobility to keep him in front. If a defense is to pit a seven-footer against AD, they best be sure the defender has the foot speed needed to shuffle and close off any driving lanes.
At seven feet and roughly 290 pounds, Nurkic is built like big-men of old. He’s not easily overpowered in the paint and ranked inside the 86th percentile in post-up defense his last full season in 2018-19.
Players of similar build aren’t typically comfortable venturing out beyond the paint to guard the opposition. Nurkic has been an outlier, one who commits to the assignment with a lowered stance and makes sure to properly communicate with his teammates.
.In his last healthy season, Portland’s defense was 4.9 points better on defense with Nurkic compared to without. That is the player the Blazers hope for next season but couldn’t fully expect under such unusual conditions several months ago.
If the Lakers, one of the league’s best transition teams, turn outings against the Blazers into a track meet, Nurkic will gas himself trying to keep up with Davis. In the halfcourt, all the traits that make Nurkic a valuable member of Portland’s core should come in handy when he’s healthy enough to showcase them.