Trading away Walker Kessler this summer meant the Utah Jazz were going to lean heavily on veteran center Jusuf Nurkic this season to anchor a team a lot of people are high on (*raises hand*).
That’s now on hold. Nurkic has “sustained a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe of his right foot during Utah’s first preseason game against Denver on Oct. 4,” the team announced. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, meaning he will miss at least the first few weeks of the season.
The plantar plate is a ligament that connects the toe to the rest of the foot, and when it is torn (even partially), the toe can become unstable and move out of alignment. It can also cause some pain and discomfort, which isn’t ideal for a sport where Nukic is paid to run up and down a hardwood floor.
Jaxson Hayes started the second half against Denver and likely moves into a starting role, which would have Utah leaning hard into its offense and giving up some defense in the process. Jaren Jackson Jr. will be back to playing the center spot more than he prefers (he is best at the four). Mo Bamba could see more run now (he is on a non-guaranteed contract but is likely to make the opening-day roster), and Kyle Filipowski likely gets some time at the five as well.
None of them are as solid and consistent as Nurkic (except Jackson Jr., but they want him more at the four).
Nurkic, who played just 11 minutes in that preseason opener, played 41 games for the tanking Jazz last season, averaging 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game. This summer he signed a two-year, $22 million deal to be Utah’s starting center. For this team to reach the playoffs, as is its goal, it will need a healthy Nurkic most of the season.
