Even though this season has been a wild ride for Phoenix Suns fans, they can all agree on three things. One, injuries have hindered this team. Two, we have a better roster than our record shows. Lastly, Jusuf Nurkic has not benefited this team this year at all. After trading Deandre Ayton before last season, the Suns thought this center saga would be over. Oh, boy, were they wrong.
With the Suns’ recent game, Nurkic has once again caught himself in the fire of fans and the media. Nurkic, in last night’s 98-89 loss, was ejected 13 minutes into the game when he swung a punch at Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall. This led to both players being tossed alongside Mavericks forward P.J. Washington as he got involved after both parties had swung. The Suns center was hit with a three-game suspension.
How Recent Jusuf Nurkic Suspension Impacts the Phoenix Suns
The Outcome of Nurkic’s Suspension
The NBA is suspending Dallas’ Naji Marshall for four games and Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic for three games after their fight Friday night when Nurkic struck Marshall in the head and then Marshall threw a punch. pic.twitter.com/MOf5CVoH5d
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 28, 2024
Sadly for Suns fans, this is not the first time this season Nurkic has disappointed and left a sour taste in fans’ mouths following a game. Unfortunately, this alteration may have hindered the Suns in a more significant light. Three players were suspended following the brawl between both teams on Friday night. Washington received a one-game suspension for getting involved. Marshall was hit with the most severe punishment, as he got a four-game suspension and was told to try to escalate the situation after it had developed on the court. Nurkic was given only three games for instigating the fight, which was wild to hear initially. Many people were perplexed that Nurkic got fewer games without knowing that Marshall had instigated it further.
For Suns fans, the majority of their season has been played without Jusuf Nurkic. Whether it was due to Nurkic’s injury, getting benched, or now being suspended, the team has had better metrics without him. When looking at three metrics (offensive, defensive, and net rating), you can see the Suns are much better with Nurkic off the court. His -5.1 net rating is the most noteworthy. They also have 300 more minutes this season without him on the court. If that is not a glaring issue already, then what is?
What is Needed?
Ultimately, Nurkic has hindered this team since his arrival last offseason. Last year, the big man dealt with a plethora of injuries similar to this season. This has limited his availability, which is troublesome as he is the fourth-highest-paid player on this roster. This team has needed center upgrades and wanted to address that. They have made Nurkic available on the trade block, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reported.
Phoenix Suns trade-talk sources: Nurkic being shopped, Heat-Butler discussions ongoing (w/videos) #Suns https://t.co/8TIp0vhA3U via @azcentral
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 24, 2024
The only issue is how the Suns will find that replacement while selling Nurkic.
- He cannot stay healthy
- He is not worth his contract value
- The Suns are limited with draft capital to add to his unfavorable contract
- He cannot control his emotions
- When playing, he looks lost
The Last Word
I could continue this list and fill up an entire article on his net negatives for this squad. The only question is, will anyone across the league see it as a positive? Would anyone even bother to help out the Suns, and if so, what center are we getting back? Those are the questions that remain in this situation. One Suns’ fans dearly hope the front office can figure out before February 6th’s trade deadline.
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