The Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a slow start in the offseason. A very slow start. They've still got up to three roster spots plus two two-way spots to fill. They haven't shown much urgency and aren't showing any signs of getting Jamal Murray real help in the backcourt, at least not yet. There's a huge hole at the moment and a big area of concern at backup point guard, and honestly, the non-Murray minutes should be in the spotlight just as much as the non-Nikola Jokic minutes at this point.
The Nuggets relied heavily on Jamal Murray last season, and for good reason. They didn't have a true backup point guard, but at least they had Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. to help out, plus point-Joker and Peyton Watson at times. Murray played 35.4 minutes per game, the third most of his oft-injured career, and he played in 75 games, the most he's played in a season since 2018-19.
Murray responded with the best season of his career. He had an incredible regular season that led him to his first All-Star Game and his first All-NBA Third Team selection. But getting that kind of durability out of Murray may be tough to replicate, and the Nuggets have yet to secure real help behind Murray.
Tyus Jones is not the answer by himself
The lone help the Nuggets got for Murray this offseason has been the signing of Tyus Jones. Don't get me wrong, Jones is a fantastic option for the ball-control department, but that's about where it stops with Jones. He's a liability from his size on defense, and he doesn't create much on offense. Jones can facilitate enough, but he's going to need more offensive firepower around him to get anything going.
The Nuggets have three roster spots remaining to be filled. It's expected that one of those will be Peyton Watson, who returns as a restricted free agent, but even that is in limbo now with the Nuggets potentially listening to sign-and-trade offers for him.
One of the other roster spots should absolutely be another backup point guard. The options left on the market are pretty bleak, and the Nuggets should definitely look at bringing Russell Westbrook back. He's the best option left on the free agent market. His Roger Dorn-like defense can be a bit problematic, but he's still a good creator on offense, and he's still got good ball control.
The obvious issues are the way Westbrook left Denver and the mending of fences that would be needed. But the Nuggets should do it. Murray needs more help than Jones can provide. Murray's plate was full enough last year. As the roster currently looks, it's about to get fuller.
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