ESPN’s Kevin Pelton recently broke down how the Trail Blazers can respond to Jusuf Nurkic’s injury in an article for ESPN+. Pelton notes that Enes Kanter, Portland’s backup center, may not be a perfect fit to replace Nurkic:
Kanter has been typically productive in 15 games for Portland, averaging 20.3 points and 13.6 rebounds per 36 minutes while shooting 54 percent from the field. In a starting role, however, Kanter’s defensive shortcomings could be highlighted. He has never started regularly for a playoff-bound team, coming off the bench as a rookie with the Utah Jazz and during his two full seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.