Jusuf Nurkic could be the most important variable for the Suns this season, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. With so many reliable pieces in place, the veteran center’s performance on a night-to-night basis might determine how successful Phoenix can be. Bourguet notes that he had trouble staying on the court in the first two games, scoring 15 combined points with six assists and eight turnovers. But Nurkic was much better Saturday against Dallas, posting 18 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 7-of-12 from the field.
“He was great,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “His physicality in the paint, his rebounding, defense, everything. So it was good, I think. He’s a great teammate, he’s a competitor. I think he wanted to come back tonight and have that kind of positive impact for us, and he did it in a big way.”
Saturday’s game included a stretch where Nurkic scored 12 straight points in the second quarter. He was more determined to carve out space for post-ups and took advantage of opportunities around the basket.
“I felt like they was disrespecting me in a way because I was last game just not as aggressive,” Nurkic said. “I know I can score the ball, especially in the post, and they wanna just let me play. I think that [Devin Booker] and Tyus [Jones] and coach just let me play, so I was taking advantage of my size and try to be just aggressive as I could.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Also Saturday, Kevin Durant became the eighth player in league history to reach 29,000 career points, notes David Brandt of The Associated Press. At age 36, Durant is off to another hot start, averaging 28.7 PPG through three games. “I’ve got to give credit to the people who have helped me since I was a kid,” he said. “Teammates who passed me the ball, set screens for me, coaches who drew up plays for me.”
- Through the first week of the season, Ryan Dunn has been the biggest surprise in this year’s rookie class, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Dunn fell to the 28th pick because of concerns about his outside shot, but he leads all rookies in made threes and is connecting at 46.2% from beyond the arc. That’s a bonus for the Suns, who drafted Dunn because of his elite defensive skills.
- After missing two straight games, Grayson Allen isn’t listed on the injury report for tonight’s contest with the Lakers, Bourguet tweets.
Tyus Jones just gives them a calm professional influence on the basketball court. You can see see it thru the way he’s played and they way they play around him. He doesn’t need to be a hero but read the defense and digest the play and give it to KD/Book and others.
A+ signing thus far.
Dunn was a great pick for this team
A low usage defender that picks up all 94 ft of the court
* From my watching 0f the Suns~Lakers game it appears Nurk is playing to low. Hed be beter utilized in high screen and rolls than clogging the paint