Jusuf Nurkic is not as impressive here as he was in our study of basic statistics as his per-possession efficiency numbers are not on par with his per-minute productivity numbers at this stage in his career. Generally speaking, Nurkic's 10.8 possessions used per-game (in just 16 minutes) ranks just average, as does his .979 points per possessions overall, but he does excel in a few notable areas.
Unlike many of his counterparts in the college game, much of Nurkic's offensive usage come as the screen setter in the pick and roll. His 1.6 possessions per-game as the roll man are the 3rd most among players in this group, and his 55.7% shooting ranks above average. That might not seem overly impressive, but when we dig a little deeper, we find that Nurkic's numbers on the whole are suppressed by his limited jump shooting efficiency. Shooting 65% when he rolls to the rim, but only 29% when he pops to the perimeter, Nurkic made just 7 of the 36 jump shots he attempted last season, which hurts him in some areas here, although perimeter shots didn't account for a large proportion of his total attempts. The Bosnian center has nice mobility for a player his size, which helps him in the European game where the pick and roll is an even more prominent component of some teams' offenses than it is in the NBA.
On top of his experience in the two-man game, Nurkic also provided a reliable back to the basket threat for Cedevita. He scores a third ranked .93 points per possession with his back to the basket, converting an above average 49.4% of his shots, but got to the line on a top-ranked 26.2% of his post up possessions. Nurkic's physical strength makes him a load on the block. He likes to turn over his left shoulder to either get to the rim or step into his hook shot, both of which yielded highly consistent results for him a year ago. He tossed in a few hooks with his left hand, but doesn't have quite as good touch as he does shooting with his right.
Nurkic finished at a slightly below average 60.9% clip around the rim this year, but is at a disadvantage around the rim relative to his peers, as the lowest percentage of his possessions per-game (10.3%) came from cuts, which usually amount to highly efficient catch-and-dunk opportunities for his counterparts in the NCAA.
If the 19 year old big man can improve as a shooter and continue to use his strength and footwork effectively around the rim, he has a chance to become the best back to the basket player to make the jump from Europe to the NBA since Nikola Pekovic.
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