In theory, the extra depth that the Nuggets have added this offseason should take the pressure off of the stars, but in reality, they are still going to need a lot more from Jamal Murray. The co-star to Nikola Jokic, Murray has too frequently come into seasons out of shape, and has been a notoriously slow starter.
But this offseason, he hasn’t been hampered by any lingering health issues; he has been seen working out with the team, and has a chance to come into camp in great shape, and to hit the ground running.
At the end of the day, all the depth and role players the team has added are great, but to win a title, they need Jokic and Murray to be on top of their game. Murray has let them down the past few years, but he has a chance to silence every critic by starting the season strong and showing he can be an All-Star-level player for an entire year.
On the other hand, should Murray falter out of the gate and the team gets off to a slow start, the noise is going to reach a fever pitch. Murray has had every chance and every excuse. When he plays well, he and Jokic create one of the most unstoppable two-man games in basketball.
Nuggets need best version of Murray for full 82 game season
The problem is that, frankly, Murray hasn’t been available and at his best nearly often enough. That has to change this season, and going forward, for Murray to pay off his new max extension, and for the Nuggets to reach their full potential.
For better or worse, they are committed to this core, and Murray is a huge part of that. If he can consistently be the player that we saw during the 2023 title run, or at least something close to it, there’s no reason that Denver shouldn’t be competing for championships for the next five seasons.
But if Murray isn’t able to live up to expectations, this team is going to struggle to put enough talent around Jokic. Jamal is being paid like a superstar, and that is what the Nuggets need from him. It can’t be 40 points one night, then three games under 20. There has to be consistency and reliability.
Anything short of that, and even with added depth, the Nuggets are going to end up being Jokic plus a bunch of guys. We’ve seen that script, and while the Joker can take them far, it’s not enough to get over the hump in an NBA that grows in talent by the minute.
So much of this season boils down to what version of Jamal Murray the Nuggets get, and he can ease a lot of nerves by getting off to a hot start.