When the Charlotte Hornets pulled off a fleece job on the Utah Jazz this summer, they raised some concern over their decision to let go of Jusuf Nurkic and possibly further compromise their questionable center depth at the time. As it turned out, Nurkic wouldn't have been that useful anymore in Charlotte.
Aside from Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate emerging as functional pieces for the team and helping the five become a position of strength, Nurkic has been a letdown in Utah.
To be fair, he has been a solid contributor for the Jazz, particularly in rebounding, defense, and playmaking. His taking Collin Sexton's spot has also allowed their young guards to have the opportunity to thrive and make mistakes without the possibility of a veteran who needs minutes taking their spot in the rotation. In addition, the rebuilding team apparently did not even have to sweat that much about finding a placeholder after the news that erstwhile starter Walker Kessler would be out for the season after just five appearances came out.
However, Nurkic could perform much better for Utah, especially in scoring. He is shooting just 34.7 percent from the field, and it's worth noting that he is so far averaging more field-goal attempts (7.5 per game) than points (6.8 per game). The big man might also have to take it easy with the 3-point shot, as he is attempting 2.1 shots per contest from beyond the arc on a 14.3 percent shooting clip.
He is still only 31 years old, but his time in the league may be coming to an end soon unless he reinvents his ways, like what other veteran pivots have done after their prime had ended. Or perhaps he has just become unplayable at this point in his career, and Charlotte probably foresaw it.
Hornets are dealing with problems of their own
Let's not kid ourselves, though, because Buzz City is also beset with plenty of issues. From injuries and lack of power forward and playmaking depth to an erratic offense and porous defense, the Hornets have a rather rough outlook for the rest of the season. Currently holding a 3-7 record, they are likely on the way to another summer of praying for some fortune in the draft lottery.
At least there are some positive developments for the Hornets, including the unexpectedly quick progress of Kon Knueppel. Kalkbrenner and Sion James have also served as evidence that the organization can be a great judge of talent.
The trade with the Jazz has also continued to be a boon for the Hornets, as they no longer have to deal with Nurkic, and they reinforced their draft capital with one more second-round pick. Sexton has also played soundly in Charlotte, and he could even be swapped for some more assets at the trade deadline.