The Jamal Murray situation was always going to be an awkward one for the Denver Nuggets. He tore his ACL at the end of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season and a one-year recovery would see him returning to the court right before the 2022 playoffs – not ideal.
Since the injury happened, I have been saying that the best course of action is to completely rule him out for the 2021-22 season, focus on next season, and give Jamal some more time to recover.
But this hasn’t been the case. The Denver Nuggets didn’t rule him out for the season and with only two weeks remaining in the NBA schedule, the team still hasn’t. With each passing game, Jamal loses a little extra time to play back into game shape and find his footing before the playoffs.
The most recent report on Jamal Murray’s potential return is that he’s looking ready to go. Monte Morris told Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, that he’s in game shape and ready to return to the court:
"“He’s ready to get back out there. He’s looked good. He’s dunking and everything, (with) both legs. It’s a matter of time, I guess, but hopefully we can get him back.”"
Michael Malone, who recently told reporters to not rule out the possibility of a return, said he simply doesn’t know if Jamal will return:
"“Jamal is getting better every day. Trust me, we all want him back. I want him back. We’re a better team with Jamal Murray.“And he wants to be back. He’s making great progress. But I can’t sit here and say that he’s going to play any of the last four games. But I also can say that he won’t.”"
On 21 Mar. 2022, Mike Singer, The Denver Post, reported that Jamal is “not close” to returning and that the Nuggets might send him back down to the Grand Rapids Gold for more training sessions.
There are some dueling reports between reporters within The Denver Post, but to make it even more interesting, Zach Lowe, ESPN, said Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray could return this season according to his own sources.
So what’s actually going on?
There are only two places that the reporters could be getting the information: Jamal Murray and his representation and the Denver Nuggets front office.
The fact that the Nuggets haven’t officially ruled out a Murray return this season, despite the season being so close to the finish, means they’re hopeful if anything. We know Jamal is one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA and thrives in a playoff environment, but would he want to return if he’s not at full strength?
Nikola Jokic, who is the best player in the world right now and would need the help in the playoffs, says it’d be “stupid” if Jamal tried to return if not 100 percent.
This quote came after some in the media suggested that Jamal could come in and play in a limited, possibly bench role for the Nuggets in the playoffs. But if he’s not healthy or fit enough to play his usual starter load, is the juice worth the squeeze?
And what would Jamal’s return do to the rest of the roster? This iteration of the Denver Nuggets has played the entire season together, found a rhythm and a winning rotation alongside the MVP candidate in Jokic. If Jamal gets his old role back, what does that do for the confidence of Monte Morris, Bones Hyland, or Bryn Forbes?
Those players will all lose out on minutes when Jamal plays next season (at the latest), but how would they feel as players who have helped secure a playoff spot (for now) before losing their role right before the business end of the season? At some point, would the team be better to finish off the season as it started?
There are so many questions to ask about this team but at the end of the day, it comes down to what Jamal Murray wants to do. Does Jamal want to come back as soon as possible and make a run in these playoffs? Does he want to focus on next season when he’s fully healthy?
The dueling reports about his health and potential return to the court are a result of the lack of knowledge out there about what both parties will actually do. Whichever decision they make, I wish they’d let us know as soon as possible.