Jamal Murray is unlikely to play in the in-season tournament group stage finale against the Rockets and is not anticipated to return during the Nuggets road trip.
Murray is anticipated to miss a minimum of three more games, which will include the final of the in-season group stage competition.Coach Michael Malone stated on Monday afternoon that Jamal Murray is unlikely to play again during the Nuggets’ last five games on their road trip. As a result, the point guard is anticipated to miss Denver’s in-season tournament group stage finale on Friday in Houston.
Since suffering a strained right hamstring against the Bulls on November 4, Murray has missed seven games for the Nuggets against the Pistons on Monday night. Denver (9-4) was 3-3 without Murray going into the Detroit game; they were undefeated on the road. His spot in the starting lineup has been taken by Reggie Jackson.
Malone stated, “He’s making progress, but I believe there’s still work to be done for him to get back and be cleared.”
Despite being hurt, Murray has been traveling with the club. He was huddled in and talking with Malone and lead assistant coach David Adelman as the Nuggets tried to finish a 20-point comeback against New Orleans last Friday.
Malone remarked, “I think it speaks to just his engagement.” “I believe Jamal is a guy who cares about his teammates, whether he’s playing or not. He will do everything in his power to support the squad since he cares about them. We’re playing a lot of young players right now, so Jamal’s influence on someone like Jalen Pickett, Collin, Julian, Peyton, or another player, might be significant. You therefore adore witnessing his level of engagement and enthusiasm for the games.”
When Murray was hurt early in the second quarter against Chicago, he was averaging 16.3 points and 7.4 assists a game.
The final three games of the Nuggets’ tour are in Detroit, Orlando, and Houston. As the first round of the inaugural in-season event draws to an end on Friday, they are down 2-1 in group play. For the Nuggets to have any chance of making it to the eight-team knockout stage, they must defeat the Rockets in order to top their group.
READ MORE
Jamal Murray claims that he wasn’t as close to making a comeback as most people thought.
In response to a question about his likelihood of returning, Murray stated, “Not close enough, clearly.”
Murray said he had good and terrible days during his recovery process, which prevented him from playing in the 2021–2022 season after he tore his ACL near the end of the 2020–2021 season.
In response to the question of whether physical or mental problems were limiting the return to the floor, Murray said, “both.”
“In order to play, I must feel well. Every now and then there are days when I’m like, ‘There’s no discomfort and I feel like I can go,’ and then there are days when it makes sense and I’m just not there yet.”
Murray stated that he wouldn’t even rate his own performance at 85% and declined to provide an estimated time period for reaching 100%.
“I’m still deciding which leg to take off if I have the ball in my hands and I want to go for a layup. I haven’t taken off two legs and run at full speed. I’m not sure if I can go collect a loose ball or save it,” Murray remarked.
Murray intends to play in the preseason the following year and anticipates being healthy and prepared for action when the season gets underway.
“I’m on a great path, I’m going to have a great summer,” he stated.”
“I have no doubt I can return to form.”
