USA Today

Between Me and Jusuf

Meet your new favorite player

Basketball talking types have recently engaged in a debate regarding the best young big men in the league. Karl Anthony Towns plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and he is a very good player. Nikola Jokic plays for the Denver Nuggets and he is very good. People debate which of the two is better. People debate who is the better young big man to build a team around? Some people point to KAT’s statline — 25 points, 12 rebounds, 35% from three — on the year. Some people point to Jokic’s passing ability which hints at the paranormal. This is a real debate real people with real eyes and real brains have.

People are dumb.

Give me Jusuf Nurkic forever. Jusuf started the season with Denver before being traded to Portland. His pairing with Jokic was atrocious and the Nuggets brass had to choose one young post player. Jusuf got unfriended. He has played well for the Trailblazers outside a tendency to be careless with the ball. His high in points as a Blazer was 28. That was before Tuesday night.

When he scored 33 points.

On 12–15 shooting.

With 16 rebounds.

Against his former team.

The Moda Center crowd chanted his name in the fourth quarter. His new team may have ended his old team’s, the franchise that didn’t want him, playoff hopes while greatly aiding their own post-season push. Then he cooked em.

CSN Northwest

“…I wish those guys happy summer.” Oh Nurk. You just stole my heart. I’m advocating a choice of Nurkic over Karl Towns. I’m not even suggesting that he will have a better career than Nikolai Jokic. I AM saying I value a perfect roast more than a center who can throw an entry pass. Maybe the Denver braintrust will be proven right and Jokic’s deft passing touch will propel them to a championship. It’s happened for other pass-happy centers. Just ask Arvydas Sabonis…wait…nope. Instead ask Vlade Divac…oh…oh that’s unfortunate.

Portland will play beyond game 82 this spring. Denver will not. Portland may be swept by Golden State in the first round of the playoffs but Nurkic will certainly drive Zaza Pachulia all the way insane and will probably cause Draymond to kick all the nuts. Eventually the Blazers are going to have to decide who drives the bus, C.J. McCollum or Damian Lillard. However one seat is dedicated to your new favorite NBA player — Jusuf Nurkic.

Jusuf is your favorite because he throws shade at his former team in a beautiful petty way. Did you catch that shade Nuggets? That is the best big man dish of the year by far. Better than any bounce pass from Jokic.

Jusuf is your favorite player because he threw that shade in what is obviously not his native language and it was delivered perfectly. I get nervous ordering sushi and Jusuf is out here roasting dudes in a foreign tongue.

Jusuf is your favorite player because he once had two teeth knocked out…and STAYED IN THE DAMN GAME.

Jusuf is your favorite player in the NBA because he drew two charges Tuesday night just bowling dudes over. Dudes he used to share a locker room with. Tell me you don’t secretly compete with the person who sits next to you in class or across the hall at work. If you stretched us out and gave us great hand-eye coordination and athletic ability we wouldn’t be Karl Anthony Towns. We would be Jusuf. Our new favorite NBA player.