Jusuf Nurkic named to All-Rookie Second Team

The NBA announced today that Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic has been named to the All-Rookie Second Team.

The 20-year-old Nurkic is joined on the Second Team by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach Lavine, Brooklyn Nets swingman Bojan Bogdanovic, and New York Knicks guard Langston Galloway.

The 16th overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, the Bosnian Beast averaged 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 62 games, including 27 starts.

Nurkic’s true impact last season went beyond his box score, as the 6’11, 280 pound center finished third in ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus Minus metric and established himself as an interior presence who wasn’t afraid to be physical with some of the league’s best centers.

The Bosnian also finished with the fourth highest PER and the highest rebound rate among rookies, a mark that put him 14th overall in the league in regards to that statistic.

Nurkic received three First Team and 91 Second Team votes.