Post by jhb on May 14, 2021 13:53:19 GMT -5
Jusuf Nurkic
C
6'11"
290
20
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Bosnian Beast. The Herzegovinian Hell-Raiser. Nurkic has what scouts are calling a very robust and solid frame...which may be an understatement. The kid is strong as hell, and somehow still has a little grace about him with very good balance and mobility for a center. With a 7'2" wingspan, Nurkic is well-suited to play the role of old-school low-post banger. He has very good footwork and soft hands and should be a problem for opponents in pick and roll and pick and pop opportunities.
While he doesn't have much verticality or explosiveness to his game, Nurkic has all the tools to be a monster on the low block. He's got the strength to back anyone down and the girth to pretty much get where he wants on the floor at all times. Being able to establish good position early will mean that he finds finishing opportunities much easier, although longer and bouncier defenders with good second jump ability may give him some trouble with his more under-the-rim style. He already shows a pretty effective hook shot and turnaround moves over either shoulder that could be effective at neutralizing those defenders, and he counters those with a good drop step he likes to use to get in and finish with two hands at the rim. He certainly is not scared of contact and will likely be a frequent visitor to the free throw line. He's got a decent shooting stroke and should be able to hit mid-range out to the elbow, and he's floated around 65% from the free throw line in European competition, which is good enough to not be a liability when fouled.
Defensively, Nurkic has the tools to be a pretty good low-post defender as he'll have the strength to completely stone opponents looking to back their way down to the rim for opportunities inside. While he isn't super bouncy and might not be an elite shot-blocker, he does have great lateral quickness and should do an exceptional job defending the pick and roll and shutting down drives to the paint. One complaint from scouts is that he lacks a little discipline at times and can be a frequent fouler, and that's limited his ability to stay on the court at times. He'll need to do a good job of perhaps learning to control his emotions better as they seem to frequently be frustration fouls more than anything. He also uses his speed and strength well as a defensive rebounder and does an excellent job anticipating the ball's trajectory off the rim and establishing good position.