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Nuggets end-of-season evaluations 2016: Jusuf Nurkic

Related Topics: Patellar ligament

Jusuf Nurkic's 2015-16 season was one big tug-of-war between emotions and reality.

And it was a Wrestlemania-type battle.

Nurkic's problems began a calendar year ago. The young Nuggets center had already been diagnosed with a partially torn left patellar tendon that required surgery. That surgery and rehab kept Nurkic, who made second-team all-rookie for the season that had just ended, on the shelf for eight months.

And that, basically, was that.

He struggled initially upon his return to get fully healthy and in playing shape. The summer in which he was supposed to work on his game was lost to rehab and Nurkic was forced to try to find his way after a quarter of the season was already over.