New Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer caught up with starting center Jusuf Nurkić overseas on Sunday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The two appeared to be at professional basketball team KK Split’s arena in Split, Croatia.
Suns continue their Summer World Tour ????
Coach Bud & Nurk met up overseas! pic.twitter.com/T82Djxyscl
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 5, 2024
Nurkić, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been training overseas all summer, making stops all over Europe and in Japan as well.
Thank you Nurkić????????☺️????
本日も練習に参加した #ユスフ・ヌルキッチ 選手の映像です????☄️????
ユースチームの選手達の嬉しそうな笑顔が印象的でした????
最後は京都の扇子をプレゼント????素敵な経験に感謝しています????
また京都に遊びに来てください☺️@bosnianbeast27 #京都ハンナリーズ #共に登る pic.twitter.com/lYvRwtboN3— 京都ハンナリーズ (@kyotohannaryz) July 23, 2024
Some fans have gotten excited to see Nurkić working on his 3-point shooting this offseason. Budenholzer likes stretch centers, so it would be a welcome sight if Nurkić, who also seems to have lost a lot of weight, becomes a 3-point threat after only shooting 24.4% from deep in his first season with Phoenix.
Jusuf Nurkić has undergone an offseason transformation slimming down in weight and working on his three-point shooting.
In Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer’s system, a stretch-5 is critical to its success.
Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season. pic.twitter.com/2NUnQtFxTJ
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 31, 2024
The Suns acquired the 29-year-old Nurkić from the Portland Trail Blazers on Sept. 27 last year, in a deal where they sent out Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara and also received Nassir Little and Grayson Allen. Nurkić had the best plus/minus on the Suns in his first season at +5.3 and had multiple games of 20-plus rebounds, but fans grew frustrated with his inconsistent finishing around the rim (ranked in the 54th percentile in field goal percentage at the rim). Across 76 games played (all starts), the 7-footer averaged 10.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.
Nurkić will be entering the third year of his four-year, $70 million deal next season.
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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
