Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts may want scratch some of those late-game go-to plays for Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to get Jusuf Nurkic into the mix.
During a FIBA World Cup qualifier on Sunday against Czech Republic, Nurkic showed off some new and improved ball handles as he went coast to coast and finished with a no look tap pass for an inside layup.
🗣 Big men got handles 🏀! @bosnianbeast27 #FIBAWC #ThisIsMyHouse@BFBiH 🇧🇦 @trailblazers
📺 https://t.co/yB4gFvW05u
📲 https://t.co/6BBBf6oObD
📝 https://t.co/pBU9D7bidS pic.twitter.com/q7C2mox2da— FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) September 16, 2018
Nurkic went on to post 19 points along with 15 rebounds while logging 30 minutes on the floor, but it wasn't enough as team Bosnia fell to the Republic. It did however, prompt a response from his fellow teammate CJ McCollum, who didn't want the Croation league champ to jump the gun bringing his new tricks over to Trail Blazers practice facility.
Don’t get any crazy ideas big fella @bosnianbeast27😂😂 #behinddabackdimmmeeee https://t.co/PeyaZJ3dOm
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) September 16, 2018
Nurkic is entering a prime season with the Trail Blazers, as they saw their season record steadily rise into the second half off the season giving them the 3rd seed in an unpredictable frenzy finish in the West.
After losing in an embarrassing series to the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, Damian Lillard remained adamant that Portland needed to hit the reset button and give things another go with this squad that both he and CJ McCollum are both confident in.
If Nurkic brings the same aggressiveness and style of play he just displayed in the World Cup, they definitely may have a shot.
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