The Nuggets have had a great offseason, bolstering the depth of the squad, especially, but the player who should benefit most from all of the new additions is actually Jamal Murray. While the team didn’t add a clear direct backup point guard for Murray, they’ve taken so much of the overall load off of his plate.
Over the past few years, it has felt like the world was on Nikola Jokic’s shoulders, and to a lesser extent, Murray. Jokic has certainly been up to the challenge, playing at an MVP level for half a decade now.
But Murray, on the other hand, has struggled to take on so much responsibility. The team was built in a way that they needed the starters to be nearly perfect on a nightly basis, and for one reason or another, Murray isn’t cut out for that.
He has struggled to stay on the court, coming into camp out of shape, and playing through one injury after another. They needed him to be a true co-star to Jokic, and he hasn’t been able to deliver consistently.
Nuggets' depth will allow Murray to conserve more energy
Murray hasn’t been able to make it through a regular season fully healthy since the title run in 2023, and a big part of that has been his regular-season burden. But now, the Nuggets have the depth to lighten his load.
Guys like Tim Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown are going to be able to handle scoring and playmaking duties in a way that should allow Murray to rest and manage his body. He’ll be able to play fewer minutes, but hopefully, more games, and pick and choose his spots.
Ideally, that will give him the opportunity to ramp up for the playoffs and make sure he has plenty left in the tank to unleash once the real games begin. As good as Jokic and the Nuggets have been, we’ve seen pretty clearly that they can’t get over the hump without getting an elite version of Murray.
This year, it actually feels like that’s a realistic goal. The team can have Murray pace himself, and they can afford to have him ease into the year and rest up, taking as many days off as he needs.
In all of his tenure with the Nuggets, they’ve never had the luxury of doing anything but overworking him and relying on him heavily. This season, it looks like things may finally be different.