In only his first season in the Valley, Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić is playing like the top rebounder in the NBA since the All-Star break and breaking franchise records along the way.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Nurkić has been the second-leading rebounder and first in offensive rebounds across the entire NBA since the All-Star break, cleaning up the glass night in and night out for the Suns (39-28).
Currently, Nurkić has two straight games with 20-plus rebounds, only the second time this has happened in franchise history and third instance of it happening this season. He’s achieved this while fasting to celebrate Ramadan.
Back-to-back 20+ REB games 💪
Nurk joins Tyson Chandler as the only players in franchise history with back-to-back 20 rebound performances! pic.twitter.com/bnXQ89hn5a
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 16, 2024
Nurkić has now recorded 20 rebounds four times since the All-Star break (11 games), highlighted by a 31-rebound performance in the Suns’ March 3 loss to the Thunder. Nurkić became the single-game franchise record holder for Phoenix after this contest and this marked the most rebounds in any NBA game since 2010.
“Incredible,” Suns’ coach Frank Vogel said after Nurkić’s 31-rebound performance. “The loss aside, if you just look at the 31-rebound night at any point in the NBA, in NBA history, is just incredible performance. Obviously, the best in Phoenix Suns history. He is a beast on the defensive boards. I think he is the best defensive rebounder in the game.”
In only 27.9 minutes per game since the break, Nurkić is averaging 15.2 rebounds to go along with 10.5 points, 4.0 assists and 1.4 blocks. For reference, you have to go all the way to the 14th-leading rebounder to find someone else who has played in less than 30 minutes per game. The leader, Domantas Sabonis only has one more total rebound than Nurkić in the same amount of games while averaging 36.5 minutes a night.
In 52 contests before the All-Star break, Nurkić averaged 11.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. He only had one game with 20 or more rebounds in this stretch.
His effort on the glass of late has helped Phoenix jump from the No. 17 rebounding team in the NBA before the break (43.2 boards per games) to No. 1 by over two rebounds since the break (49.2 boards per game).
When asked about if he or the coaching staff told Nurkić anything at the All-Star break at Suns practice on March 8, Vogel said no and gave a lengthy answer praising his 7-footer for more than just his rebounding.
“Nurk’s just getting better throughout the course of the year,” Vogel said. “He’s gotten better in his role, and I’ve grown more confident in putting balls in his hands and letting those (other) guys play off the basketball. He’s got a great relationship with KD (Kevin Durant) with all the backdoors he’s getting. We’re playing the DHO (dribble hand-off) game and quarterback. He’s another guy that when you look at our team and say, ‘We don’t have that true point guard.’ But he’s one of those guys that can bring it up and play point guard on certain possessions, point center, whatever you want to call it, where he’s initiating, and we’re getting a lot out of that type of action.
“I’m more impressed with what he’s doing defensively. I think he’s really grown with the coverages that we’re asking him to be in. Attacking everything at the basket. Once or twice a game, he comes swooping in for a monster block, and really energizes our whole group and our defense. And what he’s doing on the boards is, I don’t know if anybody in the league’s rebounding the ball as well as him right now.”
Nurkić has the highest plus/minus of any Suns player that has been on the team since the start of the season at 5.3 (how many points Phoenix outscores the other team when he’s on the floor). He has also already played in more games than he had since the 2018-19 season at 63 (most on the Suns), showing remarkable consistency and willingness to play through any little injury.
By accumulating 162 rebounds over his past 10 games played, Nurkić now has the most rebounds in a 10-game stretch in franchise history since 1975-76.
UNSTOPPABLE ON THE BOARDS 💪
RT if you appreciate @bosnianbeast27! pic.twitter.com/Jukjn4QyX5
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 16, 2024
As always for Nurkić, it’s about the team and not what he’s doing individually.
“That’s cool,” Nurkić tweeted in response to the 10-game stretch record. “But best part is I play for (the) Suns.”
That’s cool.😎
But best part is I play for @Suns#cominginhot https://t.co/2Lg5NmZ6Ks— Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) March 16, 2024
Jusuf Nurkić sets Suns single-game franchise record for rebounds against Thunder
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
