Los Angeles Lakers: JaVale McGee among 4 most undervalued centers in NBA

2. Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic is the definition of underrated. He’s like a poor version of Nikola Jokic and that’s saying a lot. He isn’t the best athlete and isn’t flashy but he gets the job done.

A freaky leg injury in the final moments of the 2018-19 season had Nurkic miss the postseason.

Nurkic’s value is immeasurable for Portland and it showed in the playoffs when they missed him against the Warriors and in some parts of the Nuggets series. Yes, Kanter had his moments in the playoffs for the Blazers, but he is a liability on defense and doesn’t possess the IQ that the savvy Nurkic has.

Last season Nurkic averaged 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He also averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steal. It was a career-high in scoring while his rebounding and passing numbers tied a career-high in the categories.

It’s unclear how long Nurkic will miss but the Trail Blazers added a terrific security blanket with Hassan Whiteside. Once Nurkic returns the Blazers will be ready to make a run in the postseason. The Western Conference is as open as it’s been in at least five years with the Warriors losing Kevin Durant.

Look for Nurkic to have a big impact as soon as he gets back in the fold of things.