Report: Nurkic hoping to return for Nuggets by start of season or 'soon thereafter'
Impressive rookie Jusuf Nurkic may not be fully healthy when his sophomore campaign tips off in late October.
The Denver Nuggets' No. 16 overall pick last summer, Nurkic missed 20 games as a rookie, in part due to a troublesome ankle sprain suffered in February. He then underwent knee surgery in May to repair a slight tear that had been discovered in his patella tendon, with a three-to-four-month timeline initially established.
That seems to have been too optimistic, with Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reporting Thursday that there's a chance Nurkic isn't ready for the start of the season. Failing opening night, Nurkic could be ready "soon thereafter."
The 6-foot-11, 280-pound Nurkic emerged as a force inside for the Nuggets in 2014-15, averaging 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 17.8 minutes. While his shooting left something to be desired - he shot 32.2 percent outside of 3 feet - his physical presence was obvious, and he ranked 15th among all players who played at least 500 minutes in total rebound percentage.
The Nuggets have six or seven players capable of manning a frontcourt position, but the starting center spot is presumed to belong to Nurkic, if healthy.
The 21-year-old Bosnian is missing EuroBasket 2015 as a result of the injury.