Jamal Murray hasn't played in the 2021-22 season, after tearing his ACL last April. Without Murray, the Nuggets finished with a 48-34 record, good for sixth in the Western Conference. As Denver prepares for its series against the Golden State Warriors, Murray's status remains obfuscated.
Heading into the playoffs, Murray is still out indefinitely. According to Shams Charania, his return to the Nuggets this season is unlikely.
Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. will be out for season finale Sunday vs. Lakers. Sources say, as of now, they are unlikely to return to action during playoffs: pic.twitter.com/KUMgctvOLD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 9, 2022
Murray, of course, is one of the NBA's premier scorers when healthy. He averaged over 20 points a game last season and had his breakout in the Orlando bubble. Murray returning to the Nuggets lineup could be extremely valuable for Nikola Jokic, who has put together an MVP-caliber season in his own right.
When could Jamal Murray return from injury?
Even without a timeline for Murray's return, there are some glimmers of hope on the horizon. Nuggets president Tim Connelly had this to say on Wednesday about Murray returning against the Warriors, per NBC Sports:
I wouldn't be surprised at all. When Jamal feels like he is ready, he is going to sprint out there. He's in the red zone of return to play. It's totally up to him. Once we give him certain assurances that he looks good physically -- we've told him throughout the entire process, 'You pass these certain lines and it's on you to tell us when you're ready to get back out there.'
This should, of course, be taken with a massive grain of salt. This interview was just four days after Charania reported Murray's return was "unlikely." But this does sound a lot like the team president giving Murray free reign to return. Whether or not it's significant the Nuggets haven't ruled out Murray's return in any official capacity.
IRVING: How 2022 NBA Playoffs can impact legacies of Chris Paul, James Harden and other stars
Who is playing in place of Jamal Murray?
The Nuggets starting backcourt is comprised of Monte Morris and Will Barton. Morris averaged 12.6 points per game this year and 4.4 assists, whereas Barton averaged 14.7 points per game and 3.9 assists. If Murray were to return, he could take over some of the responsibilities of running the offense from Jokic, which would be perhaps the most impactful part of him coming back to the floor.
Jamal Murray's injury history
Murray's ACL injury is the first major injury the 25-year-old has suffered in his career. Through his first two seasons, Murray didn't miss any time. In his third year, he tweaked his left ankle, sidelining him for six games. Finally, in 2019-2020, Murray missed 10 games with a (separate) left ankle injury.
