Nuggets' Jusuf Nurkic: Sees playing time fall in move to bench Thursday

Nurkic compiled three points (1-1 FG, 1-2 FT), two rebounds and one block across eight minutes off the bench in a 140-112 win over the Pacers on Thursday.

Analysis:

Following a one-game run as the starting center, Nurkic unsurprisingly moved back to the bench with Nikola Jokic returning to full health. After having seen 18 or more minutes in the Nuggets' previous five contests, Nurkic saw a steeper downturn in playing time than expected, as coach Michael Malone opted to lean more heavily on Kenneth Faried off the bench. It's worth monitoring how Malone manages his frontcourt rotation over the next few games, but for the time being, those who are still holding Nurkic in deeper leagues shouldn't get too invested.