Jamal Murray has gradually become an indispensable member of the Denver Nuggets roster, owing to his evident on-court prowess. Inspiring the Denver Nuggets alongside Joel Embiid in the 2023 NBA championship run has certainly solidified his name among the best players in the league currently.
Jamal Murray had kicked off the current season exceptionally, before unfortunately having a devastating moment on the sideline due to unforeseen circumstances. With the Denver Nuggets’ on-court results dropping significantly, and the aim of retaining the championship, there are high anticipations for the imminent return of Jamal Murray.
What happened to Jamal Murray?
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray sustained an injury during the Nuggets’ win over the Chicago Bulls on 4 November, after playing just 10 minutes in the matchup. The injury has kept him away from playing since then. However, it appears there’s no fixed date for his return, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, who disclosed that the Nuggets’ star Jamal Murray will likely be out of the team’s roster for the remainder of the month due to straining his right hamstring.
After Jamal’s devastating injury, Nuggets Head Coach Mike Malone stated that the young star isn’t expected to make a return to the court in the next couple of games. Jamal Murray’s efforts, combined with Nikola Jokic, inspired the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run, where he averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds.
Jamal Murray had kicked off the current 2023-2024 season exceptionally, averaging 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in seven games, while shooting 43.3% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range per game. While Jamal Murray going down too early in the campaign is obviously a major blow for the Nuggets, coupled with the new in-season tournament taking a full swing, backup guard Reggie Jackson is highly expected to get the nod, until Jamal Murray fully recovers.
Exploring Jamal Murray’s tentative return dates
Jamal Murray missed his 11th straight game when the Nuggets faced the Clippers recently. Murray has been struggling with a persistent hamstring injury, since sustaining it against the Bulls. As per reports by Shams Charania, while speaking on an episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” disclosed that Jamal Murray is on the brink of making a return to the Nuggets roster.
Shams disclosed that while Jamal Murray couldn’t return against the Clippers, the process of uncovering his health status will be done day-by-day. Jamal could make a return on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, or perhaps against the Phoenix Suns on the road. Shams, while also highlighting the fact that the Nuggets have been in poor form since Murray’s injury, boldly stated that the young star’s return is imminent.
While Jamal Murray’s return sounds very exciting for the Nuggets, the team will have to carefully manage Murray’s minutes on the court. Coach Mike Malone, after Jamal’s injury, had hinted at him being out for a long time and also stated the need for the team to ensure his healthiness when he returns. Embedding him back into the rotation slowly will work better.
Expectations are high that once Murray returns, the Nuggets will be motivated to defend their championship, but keeping Murray healthy should also be a factor to give maximum attention.
