The Utah Jazz face a mountain-sized problem. Center Jusuf Nurkic sustained a toe injury in the preseason, sidelining him for four weeks. Since the Injury happened on Oct. 7, that means the Jazz will have to hold out until November for the center’s return.
His extended absence adds to the significant questions that the Utah frontcourt was already facing.
Utah Jazz Already Thin at Center
Coming into the 2026-27 season, the center position was already a concern amongst fans and media alike. The Jazz decided to move on from long-time big man Walker Kessler due to contract disputes. To prepare for the move, Utah’s front office re-signed Nurkic to a two-year, $22 million deal. This made Nurkic the starting center.
Kessler’s departure dealt a big blow to the Jazz. Kessler’s defensive impact is undeniable. From 2022 to the 2024-25 season, Kessler ranked in the top five players in blocks per game. Already ranking 26th in defense last year, the Jazz could’ve used Kessler’s expertise to at least anchor the paint.
Missing the Beast
While Nurkic doesn’t possess the same defensive punch as Kessler, he makes his impact felt elsewhere. In 41 games, Nurkic averaged 10.4 rebounds per game. An important stat when most of your team struggles with pulling down boards. He also ranked 12th in the league in screen assists. Fans saw this a lot between him and Ace Bailey.
Nurk would set the screen, and Bailey would finish it off with his signature midrange jump shot. Don’t forget that Nurkic also recorded three triple-doubles last season. In each game he recorded a triple-double, Nurkic used all of the skills just mentioned to become a complete player. Never in his career has Nurkic been used as pseudo-Nikola Jokic to run an offense.
Now that he’s hurt, the Jazz are not only without a defensive presence in the middle but also a floor general.
Holding Out for Reinforcements
Whether they like it or not, Utah needs to survive the first few games of the season without Nurkic. The Jazz need to shore up rebounding. In three out of their four preseason games, the Jazz have lost either the defensive or offensive rebounding battle. To make matters even worse, their best rebounders came off the bench.
Fans and Utah media know star Jaren Jackson Jr. and center Jaxson Hayes struggle to grab a board. In one game against the San Antonio Spurs, the two combined for five rebounds. If Mo Bamba and Kyle Filipowski are out-rebounding your starters in limited minutes, that’s not a good sign.
Perhaps giving Filipowski or Bamba more minutes could alleviate this problem. However, Filipowski just returned from injury, and Bamba struggles in starting minutes. So, it’ll take the whole Utah Jazz roster to fix this problem.
They’ll also miss Nurkic’s ability to screen, but Will Hardy seems to have that figured out so far. Though Hayes struggles to rebound, the center can catch lobs. Jazz guards Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier have used Hayes for small pick-and-roll attempts, usually ending with him catching a lob.
Key Players to Step Up
As mentioned before, the whole team needs to come together to make up for Nurkic’s absence. But there are certain key players that have the ability to step in and make a major impact. Lauri Markkanen showed an ability to step up in rebounding and defensive measures when needed. Last season, Markkanen averaged around 6.9 rebounds a game.
When your best rebounder now sits on the sideline, a seven-footer like Markkanen, who lends that type of contribution, is invaluable. Another player that can step up: Bailey.
Over his four preseason games played, Bailey accrued 21 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, seven steals, and 38 points. The forward continues to impress in year two, filling out the stat sheets. With his size and length, Bailey will be a key component for both the Jazz offensively and defensively.
Jackson Jr. also needs to step up in Nurkic’s absence. Though the forward struggles with rebounding, he makes up for it with scoring and defense.
In the preseason, Jackson Jr. accumulated 48 points, three blocks, and three steals. Though his rebound numbers were low, the Jazz looked dominant with his offensive contribution. If this team can’t limit possessions by rebounding, they might as well win the offensive battle.
Can the Jazz Survive Without Nurkic?
The tests come early in the schedule for Utah. They play the Los Angeles Lakers once and the San Antonio Spurs twice. Both teams have dominant rebounding centers. So, can Utah survive without Nurkic? Yes, but it’ll take a collective effort from a few key players to fill the metaphorical holes in the Jazz’s ship.
The road back to the playoffs got a bit tougher, but head coach Will Hardy has seen worse Jazz teams before this one get close to the Play-In tournament.
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