Is Jusuf Nurkic still the “fit” he was advertised to be in Phoenix?
When the Phoenix Suns acquired Jusuf Nurkić as part of the blockbuster deal that landed Damian Lillard in Milwaukee and Deandre Ayton in Portland, there were certainly mixed reviews on the trade for Phoenix.
However, there was one word that came up time and time again when justifying the deal for the Suns—fit. Despite the fact that most would concede that Deandre Ayton is the “more talented” player between him and Nurkić, people kept coming back to the idea that Nurkić was a better fit for what Phoenix needed.
A low maintenance player. A guy that is comfortable in his role. A guy who doesn’t demand touches offensively. A guy who fit Frank Vogel’s system. A connective piece offensively.
In a lot of regards, those sentiments bared true. In Nurkić’s first year in Phoenix, he was just about everything Suns fans could have hoped for when they acquired him, while Deandre Ayton struggled in Portland with the same frustrating inconsistencies he has for the majority of his career.
First off, Nurkić was a rebounding machine. This past year, he led the NBA in total rebound percentage, was seventh in the NBA in rebounds per game at 11.0, ranked in the 99th percentile at his position for defensive rebounding on the season, and even put up a franchise record 31-rebound game in March—the most by a player in any game since the 2010-2011 season.
Nurkić was also extremely welcomed as a connective piece offensively. He ranked sixth in the entire NBA among centers in assist percentage, behind only Nikola Jokić, Domantas Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk, Alperen Sengun, and Victor Wembanyama.
Given the lack of true playmakers or ball-handlers on last year’s Suns team, a big who could keep the ball moving and even initiate some offense was an ideal fit given that roster construction decision by the front office to not employ a true, traditional point guard.
Nurkić also appeared to be a strong fit for—the now fired—Frank Vogel’s system. Historically, Vogel has prioritized big-bodied centers with size to anchor his defenses, with Roy Hibbert in Indiana and the combination of Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, and JaVale McGee in Los Angeles. Nurkić certainly fit that bill at 7’0″ tall and 290 pounds—currently the heaviest player in the NBA.
And of course, Nurkić’s locker room presence and overall selflessness as a teammate cannot be overstate. He proved himself to be a team first guy, willing to play any role the coaching staff needed from him and regularly sticking up for his teammates both on the court and in the media.
