Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets: 5 storylines to keep tabs on

Jusuf Nurkić-less Blazers

It is fair to note that the Jusuf Nurkić–less Blazers should have been given more of a chance to defeat the Thunder but just not in five games. Nurk was on track to play 81 games before his gruesome leg injury, but the Blazers were able to go 7-2 to end the season and secure the third-seed. But losing Nurk will hinder their chances to extend their playoff run, simply because he was way too valuable to their pick-and-roll offense, rebounding, and interior defense.

Nurk was having a career year and was able to finish 15th in blocks (1.4 bpg), 18th in defensive rebounds (7), and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (3.4). It is impossible to replace Nurk’s 23.9% usage rate this season, so the Blazers are already at a disadvantage since they lost the player that can challenge Nikola Jokić on the offense and defensive end.

The only positive to take from this major loss is that the Blazers have gone 11-3 (counting the playoffs) without Nurk in the lineup. Which definitely shows Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have what it takes to propel their team further into the playoffs.