It seems like he is adjusting to not having Dame/CJ/Norm take up 50 shots per game. There is much more balanced scoring all the way around. Much better to watch and even though the opposition hasn't been the toughest at times, they have won 4 of 5 and 5 of 8. Who knew more balanced scoring, ball movement, and getting everyone involved would be a thing?
There is a business side to our relationship with Nurkic; he’s a free agent at the end of the season. We do NOT want to be strapped paying this guy $20-25 mil a year! It’s like paying CJ over $30 mil a year. Now Dame seeks an extension that will pay him over $50 mil a year…when is like 33/34 years old. I’m glad Nurkic and RoCo are picking up their games - perfect timing before the trade deadline! Similarly, good CJ is back. What was not counted on was the rise of Ant over the past twenty days! I’m worried that there are no takers for CJ!
chauncey billups said nurk has taken his game to the next level in the last month or two and its cause his role is bigger right know, as theyre going to him more well see how the things will unfold going forward, cj mccollum & powell are back, simons has taken a leap and thats not even taking lillard in the equation, so well see if they can keep everyone involved
Centers Nurkic has faced in this run: ATL -- Capela MIA -- Yurtseven CLE -- J. Allen SAC -- Bagley BKN -- Claxton DEN -- Jokic WSH -- Gafford ORL -- RoLo Love the consistency from Nurk, but his two worst games have been against the best competition (Jokic/Allen). He hasn't exactly been dominating a murderer's row.
Rogers has a good rep for working with big men. He was credited for the development of Zubac for example. Nurk has always been this guy though, only real difference is his usage is up. His usage in January is the highest it’s been since he first got to Portland. He’s averaging 16ppg/13rpg/4apg. The real test will be now that CJ and Powell are back. They need to keep playing through him and scratch the iso shit. Team is much better when we play through Nurk instead because everyone is more involved.
He would’ve had a triple double against the best player on that little list had anyone been able to knock down shots and he played the fourth quarter. Also, Gafford is one of the best centers in the league and he made him look like a nobody. This just comes off as nitpicking to suit a narrative because you’ve spent the past month throwing him into every trade proposal.
I want to trade him because he's a FA and I think we can get a good return for him. Do you want to let him go to FA and have the chance of letting him walk for nothing in return? Because it's still not certain that he even wants to come back. Given his current play, he's a 20 mil center easily. And Ant's getting north of 18 mil if he continues his play. Unless we straight dump CJ/Norm, we're in cap and tax hell for the near future with a roster that is a fringe playoff team with duplications all over. Roster construction has been trash until now and we've overspent so much on guards that paying Nurk even his expected salary would be tough.
I'm confused now? So now Nurk isn't a soft, sulking, Non dunking center that can't keep from jawing at the refs when he should be playing defense? Softest 7 footer in the entire league.
There’s nothing that suggests he wants to leave either. He has a good relationship with everybody, including some of the assistants. We can pay him more than anybody. We have no in house replacement. We’re on Dames timeline so we will be in win now mode for at least another year. If you wanna win, you will have to be in the tax. Btw there’s nothing to suggest ownership is against being in the tax either, that’s pure speculation as well. It doesn’t make sense to be in it if you’re not winning, but the plan is to win next year. So as long as Dame is here, Nurk is my center. The expensive, redundant guards are the obvious trade candidates, it’s not complicated.
Center contracts: Embiid - 49 mil Gobert - 41 mil KAT - 32 mil Jokic - 30 mil Horford - 27 mil Vucevic - 25 mil Allen - 20 mil Capela - 18 mil Turner - 17.5 mil Adams- 17.5 mil Valanciunas - 15 mil Lopez - 13 mil You're gonna be disappointed if you think Nurk is getting any less than 20 on average.
I won't be. I said the Blazers will be. It ain't my money and Nurk ain't worth 20 million. Your own list proves that.
My hesitation about entering tax is purely based on the consequences of being a repeater on said "Dame's timeline." Who know what Rich Paul is feeding into Nurk's brain? Nurk is holding Dame's kids at B-Day parties and laughing with the team one week, and then sulks and doesn't show up the next. He's probably the most talented center that can be paired with Dame, but I don't want to risk losing him for nothing if we can kick the can down the road by getting someone with a longer contract. You don't think Detroit or San Antonio would throw cash at him if they strike out with Bridges/Harden/LaVine? Nurk is easily a top 5 UFA this summer.
