Center Jusuf Nurkic, who the Phoenix Suns acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers this past offseason as a fallout from the Damian Lillard trade, has been one of the more underappreciated parts of the team thus far in the 2023–24 NBA season. This season, Nurkic has been a reliable presence for the Suns in the paint, as evidenced by his recent incredible performance of 30 (!) rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As the Suns traveled to Boston on Thursday night to play the Celtics in a rematch of their Saturday defeat in the desert, Nurkic created a little bit of history by recording his sixth game of the year with at least 15 rebounds and five assists according to StatMuse on X, assists, which is the most of these games in a season since franchise icon Charles Barkley.
In the process of playing the Celtics in a rematch of their defeat in the desert this past Saturday, the Suns traveled to Boston on Thursday night. Nurkic made some history by recording his sixth game of the season with at least 15 rebounds and five assists, which is the most since franchise legend Charles Barkley, according to StatMuse on X.
Naturally, Barkley is regarded as possibly the greatest player in franchise history, though Steve Nash may not agree with that assessment. Nevertheless, Nurkic’s ability to consistently fill up the stat sheet this season—that is, when all three of the team are on the court—is a credit to both his skill and his mental toughness. Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker leave gaps that Nurkic fills.