Jusuf Nurkic Hints At 'Second Half' Return Date

Jusuf Nurkic went through non-contact drills during the Blazers' practice on Friday, hinting at a "second half" return date.

The Portland Trail Blazers have successfully weathered the storm. At 18-10 and winners of six straight games, they sit at fourth place in a loaded Western Conference despite missing three starters for more than half the season to date.

Just because Portland has thrived without Jusuf Nurkic, though, hardly means Terry Stotts' team is better without him. Good news, then – it seems the Bosnian Beast is slowly but surely nearing his return to the lineup.

Nurkic and C.J. McCollum were both limited participants in the Blazers' practice on Friday, going through non-contact drills. 

The former even showed off his quickness and conditioning on the footwork ladder, looking much like the physical force who helps stabilize Portland's defense in the middle. McCollum, still nursing his recovering left foot, couldn't quite match the seven-footer's speed on the footwork ladder.

Working to get better every day.#RipCity pic.twitter.com/DYfKQfolcP

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 19, 2021

Portland announced on February 16 that McCollum is out of his walking boot and will be re-evaluated by team doctors in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the concrete timeline for Nurkic to return, at least, remains unclear. But he hinted to A.J. McCord of KOIN News that his return from a fractured right wrist may come sooner than later.

I just spoke with Jusuf Nurkić; there’s no update on the timeline of his return but he tells me he’s working and also says he hears the noise. Says “it’s a good thing the second half of the season is coming really soon”@bosnianbeast27 https://t.co/1xudDL7KoK

— AJ McCord (@AJ_McCord) February 20, 2021

Nurkic obviously left some grey area here, but it bears mentioning that the "second half" of the season begins on March 11, after the All-Star break. He went down with the injury on January 14, and Portland announced a day later that he'd miss at least eight weeks after undergoing corrective surgery.

Portland obviously won't be rushing Nurkic back to the floor just to align his return with the team's initial announcement. But mid-March is just three weeks away, and the Blazers play only seven more games before the midseason break on March 5.

Will Nurkic be back on the court immediately once it's over? Maybe, but even if he's not, all signs suggest Nurkic's return will come just shortly thereafter.

READ MORE: The Numbers Tell A Different Story About Portland's Supposed Defensive Improvement