The Denver Nuggets have marketed this season as a New Day and one thing is absolutely clear — Michael Malone is the boss.
Last season the 16th overall pick out of Bosnia impressed the team’s front office so much that they parted with their starting center for him. Timofey Mozgov went on to have an impressive season with the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers, while Jusuf Nurkic cemented himself as the Nuggets’ top prospect with his impressive rookie campaign.
Fast forward a season and suddenly Nurkic is racking up minutes on the bench as the team’s third string center — behind a 21 year-old Serbian and a 24 year-old Frenchmen. The NBA waits for nobody.
Credit: Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports.
So, what gives?
“He’s frustrated right now and understandably so,” said Malone. “I think he’s frustrated, probably, with his knee. Anybody that’s not 100 percent, I’m sure that has to be frustrating for him. And then obviously, probably the playing time I’m sure drives him crazy.”
Nurkic, just 21 years-old himself, underwent major surgery back in May of 2015 to repair a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee, and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
“That Detroit game, right before the break, he played great. We don’t win that game without him,” said Malone. “But trying to get a consistent Nurk — who is healthy, in shape and out there helping us on a nightly basis — has been a challenge for a number of reasons.”
Nurkic has proven to be an extremely effective player when he’s on the floor; perhaps a guy you can build a team around. He’s a force on the boards, can score in the post on a variety of moves, protects the rim and is the team’s most effective screener with his massive 7-foot, 280 pound frame. Of Denver’s three centers, he has the second-best net rating and it’s not really close between he and Lauvergne, as illustrated below.
| Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Net Rating | |
| Nikola Jokic | 104.6 | 101.6 | +3.0 |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 100.9 | 102.5 | -1.6 |
| Joffrey Lauvergne | 97.4 | 107.4 | -10.2 |
But Lauvergne has been improving — in February he posted a positive net rating of +0.9 while appearing in 12 games and averaging 15.5 minutes per game. And perhaps most importantly, Joffrey is earning Malone’s trust late in games as he played in nine fourth quarters in Feb. and averaged 6.9 minutes in the final quarter — compare that to Jokic’s eight fourth quarter appearances and 4.2 minutes.
“The one thing that I can say about Joffrey is, it’s never a case of lack of effort,” said Malone. “Right now he knows he’s playing. He’s playing the backup center minutes.”
Hard work pays off in the NBA, and Lauvergne is taking advantage. Again, the NBA waits for nobody.
“There is a chance that (Nurkic) could have played (against the Grizzlies),” said Malone. “but he wasn’t able to because his knee was acting up.”
Nurkic has not appeared on the team’s official injury report, but Malone has referenced a balky knee against both the Grizzlies and after the Kings game on Feb. 23rd. He has recorded four straight DNP-CD’s, but he has been practicing. He practiced yesterday following the Grizzlies game and apparently had one of his better practices ahead of the Grizzlies game, too.
Malone said Nurkic is a full participant in practice & had one of his better ones today.
— Harrison Wind (@NBAWind) February 28, 2016
Perhaps Coach is trying to protect his big man, but offering up injuries is a concern as Nurkic hasn’t been on the injury report — one that includes new names in Kenneth Faried (low back, questionable) and Emmanuel Mudiay (left calf tightness, probable) ahead of tonight’s Lakers game.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports.
“It’s so hard to play nine, 10, 11 guys. So, you kind of come up with a rotation, and try to give them a chance to play,” said Malone. “I don’t want to change lineups and change groups every game because then nobody has a rhythm. A lot of it for me is really predicated on who is able to practice and who is healthy.”
Nurkic is not in Malone’s rotation right now. Malone has stated that experience is the best teacher, and he has been relying on young guys all season. Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Lauvergne and Jokic have all experienced tremendous growth this season and are earning valuable minutes. The same cannot be said for Nurkic.
“He’s competitive. He has a lot of pride,” said Malone. “I have no problems with Nurk and his mindset and his attitude because I know deep down he is a team guy, and he wants to do whatever he can to help. And I understand his frustration, I really do.
“I think, whether it’s the end of this season, this summer or next season, from what I’ve seen from him — in maybe glimpses — he has a chance to be a very impactful player. That size, that skill level, that touch, his willingness to be physical — not a lot of guys have that. So, it’s just a matter of being patient and bringing out the best in him.”
Malone doesn’t appear to be a hurry to get Nurkic back on the court, and it’s a positive sign that the front office doesn’t seem to be mandating that Malone play him. In a season that is about finding guys that hate to lose more than they like to win, the front office will be faced will a plethora of decisions in the offseason. If the Nuggets view Jokic as their center of the future, Nurkic could potentially bring back a hefty bounty in a trade.
Add Nurkic to the list of questions the front office must answer this summer, to keep paving the way for a New Day.
0 Comments (4 conversations)
I hope we don’t trade Juka. He’s incredibly skilled for a 21yo big man. I trust Tim C. to make the right move but he has as much potential as anyone on the team imo.
Johnny Domenico
He showed so much promise last year, I agree! Hopefully it really is the knee that’s bothering him and he can get it right in the offseason.
yeah, though I have mixed feeling about rooting for a player to have continued knee problems… : /
Nate, your headline seems to be barely related to the content of your piece. The headline leads us to believe we’re about to read a strong opinion about the poor state of Nurkic’s game and conditioning and suitability for the Nuggets’ roster. Yet we see almost nothing along those lines. In fact, there’s almost nothing here that hasn’t been written elsewhere. What’s up?
I guess you’re unfamiliar with the phrase: Shape up or ship out.
Here’s the definition: used as an ultimatum to someone to improve their performance or behavior or face being made to leave.
The quotes are from questions I asked yesterday at practice. Outlined above we can see that Nurkic has been practicing and not playing and the not playing is being put on injuries that have not been on any injury report and Nurkic has been practicing before and after games where he’s been injured. Seems odd to me, like something else could be happening. The state of Nurkic’s game has been poor enough that he’s out of the rotation. Just connecting some dots.
This old man knows the phrase very well. My comment stands: the title promises something we don’t see in the piece.
And I disagree. We’ll have to agree to disagree here my friend.
From what I seen Nurkic is the most physically talented player on the Nuggets, to trade him would be a mistake, and for him to try to play through his knee problems in a lost season is stupid, I do not care if he sits the rest of the season, but I would be very unhappy to see him traded especially for the junk he would probably bring back.
I appreciate Malone’s tough stance. But, if Nurk plays, he will work out harder. Right now he is despondent. If I were Malone, I’d get off the ego I’m the boss thing and use his self-proclaimed understanding of what it takes to motivate players. What he is doing with Nurk is not working. This may be causing us better potential in the future, and I would be careful if I were Malone. To lose a potential star and cover it up won’t do. Why is he not meeting with Nurk and putting together a plan? Do so much work, and you play. Instead, Malone is losing a few games where we may have had a better chance. What do you think Nug fans? Malone, can you do any worse? What would a top coach do with these skilled big men? Quit playing to the other teams strengths, and play to the Nugs strengths. We are huge and talented. We still ran, we won; we used two big men together and it worked. Come on Mike, don’t be negative or discouraging to any of your players. You are a psychologist and father, remember? If it’s his knee, that’s a different story. Or, could we have a Gasol or Cousins here and are letting it get away?
Johnny Domenico
It seems like when the Nuggets were on losing streaks, Malone would defer more to veterans down the stretch in hopes of getting a win here and there. Hopefully the team can string some wins together (this homestand looks like the best opportunity there will be for that) and allow him to get Nurk back out on the court to prove himself, whether it’s his knee or his head that’s holding him back.