Latest news with #JusufNurkic
!["[Jusuf] Nurkic is out of shape": Coach Adis Beciragic slams Bosnia and Herzegovina's fitness ahead of EuroBasket](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.toiimg.com%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-123242210%2Cwidth-1070%2Cheight-580%2Cimgsize-35424%2Cresizemode-75%2Coverlay-toi_sw%2Cpt-32%2Cy_pad-40%2Fphoto.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
!["[Jusuf] Nurkic is out of shape": Coach Adis Beciragic slams Bosnia and Herzegovina's fitness ahead of EuroBasket](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Findiatimes.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"[Jusuf] Nurkic is out of shape": Coach Adis Beciragic slams Bosnia and Herzegovina's fitness ahead of EuroBasket
Jusuf Nurkic is reportedly not in good shape (Image via Getty Images) Adis Beciragic, the coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has recently criticized his team's lack of fitness ahead of EuroBasket . He also singled out Jusuf Nurkic and Xavier Castaneda. After heavy losses to China, Serbia, and Montenegro, a difficult group consisting of Georgia, Greece, Italy, and Spain has caused concern for the team. Additionally, this criticism came days after their EuroBasket 2025 preparations, when Nikola Jokic and Serbia's national team dominated Bosnia and Herzegovina and won. Bosnia coach Adis Beciragic questions team's conditioning as EuroBasket nears after heavy losses The EuroBasket preparation matches for Bosnia and Herzegovina are reportedly becoming worse. Montenegro, which has dominated from the start, defeated the national squad. Meanwhile, head coach Adis Beciragic did not attempt to hide his frustration after the game as he brought up his players' fitness problems. Regarding the NBA center, who scored 15 points during his team's most recent losing performance, the coach said: '[Jusuf] Nurkic is out of shape and can barely run.' He further said: 'Xavier Castaneda is not training, he only started playing five-on-five two days ago. All that needs to be integrated into a team that has played together for two years.' According to Adis Beciragic, the team has reportedly not been prepared to the necessary degree. He then said: 'We have to prepare better for the games. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 25 of the Best Cities to Live In Undo We missed 18 free throws against Serbia. Montenegro is also a very good team and I hope we will be able to convince the players to understand where the problems are.' This happened after the team faced a tragic loss. Meanwhile, last week, Jusuf Nurkic joined the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad together with Dzanan Musa. He then said that he is in decent shape. Jusuf Nurkic is playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina (Image via Getty Images) Talking about it, he added: 'I'm coming in decent shape, but training and games are not the same. I think we're all around the same level in terms of fitness, and we'll gradually improve it. What's important is that we stay healthy and arrive at EuroBasket healthy – that's very important, probably the most important thing.' According to Jusuf Nurkic, this team is prepared to create history. 'Time has shown that we are a team capable of achieving results, but whether it's Murphy's law or something else, I don't know, we've had so many setbacks so many times. However, I'm sure – God willing, with good health – that now we have a historic opportunity to achieve a great result.' On the other hand, the team is now preparing to face Spain, Italy, Greece , and Georgia. Also read: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo going to miss EuroBasket 2025 Prep Games? Exploring the reasons behind the NBA legend's absence Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What the Jazz Trading Collin Sexton Means for Walter Clayton Jr.
What the Jazz Trading Collin Sexton Means for Walter Clayton Jr. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Utah Jazz have a bright future ahead of them in their backcourt. Utah selected uber-talented Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick and traded up to get former Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 18. Advertisement With these incoming rookies, the Jazz traded guard Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round draft pick to the Charlotte Hornets for 12-year NBA veteran center Jusuf Nurkic on Sunday, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. With the departure of Sexton, who started 112 games for the Jazz over the past two years while averaging over 18 points per contest, this opens up the door for Bailey, and possibly Clayton, to enter the starting five right away. Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. dribbles the ball against the Auburn Tigers during the men's Final Donnan-Imagn Images Utah will almost certainly begin the season with Bailey as a starter, but the question is will Clayton get the starting nod on opening night? It is clear the Jazz are very high on the national champion Clayton. Utah traded up three spots from 21st to 18th on draft night to select him two picks before the Miami Heat were on the clock. Before the draft, there were reports that Miami would select Clayton if he were available at No. 20. Advertisement Clayton is coming off an incredible senior year at Florida, earning first-team All-America honors, the only UF player to achieve this distinction in program history. He averaged over 18 points with three made 3-pointers per game en route to a national title with the Gators. With Clayton and Bailey set to make their NBA Summer League debuts in the next two weeks, it will be very interesting to see where they end up come late October. Related: Florida Projected to have Second Straight Big NBA Draft in 2026 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading Hornets-Jazz trade involving Collin Sexton, Jusuf Nurkic
The post Grading Hornets-Jazz trade involving Collin Sexton, Jusuf Nurkic appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Utah Jazz traded veteran guard Collin Sexton to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. The Jazz, who included a second-round pick in the 2030 NBA Draft, received veteran center Jusuf Nurkic in return. Advertisement Both Sexton and Nurkic are entering contract years. Making the money work was easy, with both set to make around $19 million next year. It had been rumored that Sexton would be available in trades this offseason. Utah drafted guards Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. The next year, they selected guard Isaiah Collier in the first round. On Wednesday, they drafted guard Walter Clayton Jr., the fourth first-round pick they've used on a guard in three drafts. As more of their young talent approaches paydays, more experienced players like Jordan Clarkson and Sexton become natural choices for the 'chopping block.' What type of moves could the Jazz make that involve one or two of these guards and set their core up for success? They opted to send Sexton to the Eastern Conference for a big man. The Jazz only had incoming fourth-year center Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski, fresh off his rookie campaign, at center. Both players represent a balance of now and later, already able to impact winning basketball but with room to grow. Nurkic, an 11-year NBA veteran, could help both reach their potential. Advertisement The Hornets drafted 6'7″ guard Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick in Wednesday night's draft. He joined guards LaMelo Ball and recent first-round draft pick Nick Smith Jr. on the roster, making Sexton the fourth under contract next season with 24-year-old guard Tre Mann entering restricted free agency. Was this the best the Hornets could have done to replace him? Was trading Nurkic days after trading Mark Williams the right move? Hornets get smaller, score big in Nurkic-Sexton swap Jeffrey Swinger-Imagn Images A 26-year-old guard, after the second-straight season in which he was excellent on offense, being traded away is a tough sell. Sexton averaged 18.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while making 48% of his field goals this past year. He led the Jazz in scoring for the second-straight year. Advertisement Sexton turned the ball over 2.5 times on average. But his 40.6% conversion rate on his 4.3 3-point attempts per game was a career-best. The advanced analytics on Sexton's past two seasons indicate his offensive impact is legitimate. His Estimated Offensive Plus-Minus rating of +1.5 represented greater offensive impact than 87% of NBA players that year. His +3.0 mark in the 2023-24 season was in the 95th percentile of that season's O-EPM ratings, per Dunks and Threes. At face value, parting ways with Nurkic is a tough but potentially necessary sacrifice to acquire a player like Sexton. His high-octane offensive capabilities could both complement Ball's playmaking well and help the team maintain its offense when Ball sits. Receiving a second-round draft selection several years down the road tilts this trade enough in the Hornets' direction to consider it a 'success' for them on-paper. Sexton and Ball may struggle on defense, especially without a defensive anchor of a big supporting them. The Hornets traded both Nurkic and Williams, the two centers they had on their roster, within days of each other. This makes the team's need for a center dire. Nurkic, who just had the highest defensive-rebounding percentage of his career last year, could have been more valuable to the Hornets than other teams. Advertisement Center play, however, has typically been the most easily replaceable position in the modern era. The Hornets bet on the center play they can acquire in free agency, coupled with incoming fourth-year small-ball center Moussa Diabate, being enough for next year. Hornets trade grade: A- Sexton will need a new deal after his opening campaign with Charlotte. Locking in a 27-year-old Sexton for 'the prime years' of his career is worth giving up a steady hand in Nurkic for a team like the Hornets, searching for perennial playoff appearances. Jazz add rebounding, experience via veteran Jusuf Nurkic Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Nurkic played 51 games last season between his time with the Hornets and the Phoenix Suns. His 81st percentile Defensive-EPM of +0.8 is indicative of a 'still got it' factor with regard to his ability to anchor a defense. His +2.5 rating on that end of the court from the season before was better than 95% of the NBA last year. Advertisement Availability is beginning to come into question with Nurkic, though. Some were part of the trade process and not representative of his health, but he missed 33 games total last season. He played 76 the year before, a nice figure, which unfortunately stands out as an outlier. Nurkic played just 52 games in 2023 and 56 in 2022. That's after he played a combined 45 in the two years before, 2019-21, because of troubles with leg injuries. When he's on the court, though, his value is clear. He rebounded 31.8% of opposing team's misses when he was on defense, a career-best rate. That was in the 99th percentile among all NBA players in the 2025 season. From 2019 to 2024, Nurkic's O-EPM had been in the 69th percentile or better – except for 2021, a 59th percentile output. Last season, his -1.9 O-EPM rating was in the 31st percentile that year. Especially after trading Sexton, the Jazz don't have a playmaker on the level of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, or LaMelo Ball yet. Will they be able to scheme an offense that facilitates a bounce back season? Jazz trade grade: C- Head coach Will Hardy prioritizes the optimization of his talent. Will the team's young guards have developed enough to allow the addition of Nurkic to pay dividends? Or will the Bosnian big man's contributions be unfortunately overlooked as the team's offense has a Sexton-sized hole in it? Advertisement Whether or not Nurkic is a key contributor in Utah, it feels like they could have gotten more for Sexton. Was being so set on trading him even the right way to handle his pending free agency? If the team is interested in starting to win some games, the dynamo scoring guard now on the Hornets may have been able to help. Related: 10 worst GMs in NBA history, ranked Related: NBA rumors: Rockets the biggest threat to steal away key Lakers free agent
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jackson Merrill's incredible home run robbery
Why did the Jazz trade Collin Sexton? Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor looks at Utah's surprising trade that sent the shooting guard to Hornets - along with a future second round pick - in return for Jusuf Nurkic. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. 1:30 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hornets acquire Collin Sexton from Jazz for Jusuf Nurkic, per reports
Hornets acquire Collin Sexton from Jazz for Jusuf Nurkic, per reports originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Days after the 2025 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets are making moves again. On Sunday, the Utah Jazz traded guard Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick to the Hornets for center Jusuf Nurkic, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Advertisement Sexton spent the past three seasons in Utah and averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists. He's led the Jazz in total points in each of the past two seasons and recorded career-highs in 3-point percentage (41%) and free throw percentage (87%) this past year. Nurkic, 30, is on an expiring deal worth around $19 million. He becomes the second big man heading out of Charlotte. Mark Williams was sent to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for two first-round picks in a draft night deal. The Hornets selected 7-foot-1 defensive beast Ryan Kalkbrenner with No. 34 overall. The four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year averaged 14.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game at Creighton. Related: Hornets Introduce New Era With 2025 Draft Picks Sexton will likely replace Tre Mann, who is a restricted free agent this summer. If the Hornets work Sexton into the equation, it will come with a contract extension after having one year remaining on his existing deal. The Jazz are flipping parts of their roster after selecting Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. in last week's draft. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
