The Golden State Warriors didn’t need any help in their postseason chances.
But they just got some in the form of a horrible leg break to Portland Trail Blazers forward Jusuf Nurkic.
This was a team that looked like a serious contender, one that had Charles Barkley declaring they — and not the Dubs — would make the NBA Finals. They have one of the game’s best guards in Damian Lillard and his sharp-shooting backcourt-mate CJ McCollum. Those two were surrounded by a myriad of shooters and defenders (Mo Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu), plus a bench with guard depth (Rodney Hood) and versatility (Evan Turner). And the yin to their yang was Nurkic, the menacing seven-footer in the middle who was having his best season as a pro.
Of the four big contender out West — the Dubs, the Nuggets and Rockets are all in that conversation — the Blazers were probably the fourth-best. But you could see a scenario where Lillard and McCollum matched Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Nurkic was the X-factor against DeMarcus Cousins. In the Blazers’ two wins over the Warriors this season, Cousins didn’t play. So maybe Boogie would have bested him like he did in 2017:
Or it’s possible Nurkic would have worn him and Andrew Bogut (was re-signing the ex-Warrior a move to keep Nurk at bay if they met in the postseason?) down over a series. It’s nearly impossible to beat the Warriors and their new lineup of death, but the Blazers with Nurkic had a chance.
Whatever, it’s all moot now. Losing a 15.6 ppg scorer and a guy averaging 1.4 blocks and a steal per contest is too much. He’ll be replaced by Enes Kanter, who can make buckets inside but who’s also known for being a sieve on the defensive end. If you’re an NBA fan cheering for a team to take down the dynasty looking for one more ring before it all potentially falls apart, you just lost one to root for.
RIP, Rip City.
