“Nurk and Grayson, you know Nurk, I think, hasn’t had any contact, hasn’t done any basketball.” Mike Budenholzer’s recent remarks about Jusuf Nurkic didn’t end up sitting too well with the hooper. Having sustained a middle finger injury in a practice session, the 30-year-old was yet to make his preseason debut after a season in which he made his most appearances. Along with looking to get back in the groove, it would also provide him a chance to prove the HC wrong. That moment seems to be right on the horizon.

Earlier today, prior to the commencement of the matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, Budenholzer was asked about the availability status of Jusuf Nurkic. Without any hesitation, the head coach replied, “Nurk’s gonna play.” In regards to his recovery, the Suns boss had a better response from earlier, as he stated, “They’ve (Beal and Nurkic) just been incrementally working themselves to a few more minutes each game. There’s probably a decent chance it’ll happen again tonight.”

“Obviously he gives us a presence with his size and physicality. He has kind of unique hands and timing and can get deflections and reflections at a high rate. He’s kind of got to be that anchor for us, communicator,” Mike concluded.

Fans attending the matchup at the Footprint Center, or watching it from the comfort of their game, likely won’t witness any glimpses of tension between Nurkic and Budenholzer. However, the duo had almost come to blows over the manner in which the head coach earlier handed the update on the player’s recovery and conditioning period.

While it may not have been his intention, Budenholzer saying “there’s nothing like playing basketball,” to his earlier remarks did not sit well with the Center. Sure enough, he came out with his own response soon- “When I came to the camp, he (Budenholzer) was all about his words. I think he believes, from day one, he said, ‘talk is cheap.’ And he put everything on the floor for us. Accountability was something I’m big on. And he stands by those words, no matter who it is.”

Amidst the subtle jab, the coach did reveal that he placed more emphasis on actions than words. Fortunately, the Suns-Lakers game has allowed Nurkic to put his injury concerns behind him. From the looks of it, the player is making the best use of the opportunity.

How is Jusuf Nurkic performing against the Lakers?

While Anthony Davis and Co. had the advantage during the early part of the game, the Suns were able to recover soon and close the 2nd quarter with a 67-62 lead! While Devin Booker and Kevin Durant took the offensive lead as always, Jusuf Nurkic also didn’t shy away during his debut game. Within a limited time frame of just 12 minutes, he was able to make 12 points and 4 rebounds.

(As of the 3rd quarter) the hooper has kept his shooting on par with his previous averages, making 5-9 (55.6%) field goals and 1-2 (50%) free throws. Earlier reports had indicated that the Bosnian player was looking to ‘stretch the floor’ more in the ongoing tournament, emphasizing an increase in his three-point attempts. After all, last season, the average attempts stood at only 1.2.

Jusuf Nurkic already seems to be on top of his set goal, as he made 1-3 (33.3%) three-pointers against the Lakers. He seems to be back for the Phoenix Suns for good, with no signs that he will be benched anytime soon. If Mike Budenholzer believed that the center “hasn’t done any basketball earlier”, he will get plenty of opportunity to see him do it in the upcoming weeks.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.