Jamal Murray has been amazing this season, and perhaps the most impressive thing about him has been his availability. In a season where the Nuggets have been hit with an absurd rash of injuries, the previously injury-prone Murray has been the steadying force, playing in 41 of a possible 45 games so far.
Of all the guys to be a relative iron man and carry the team through the regular season, Jamal would not have been one of my first guesses. But he has defied the odds this season, determined to prove a point and make a statement, and that’s exactly what he’s done.
As a result, he’s almost certainly going to make the All-Star Game for the first time, and it will be 100% deserved. But it seems like the heavy burden may finally be catching up with Murray in recent weeks.
He has been battling through a knee and ankle issue, and while he has played very well, he has looked a bit off lately. Then on Thursday night, David Adelman said Murray played through hamstring tightness that popped up at the last second.
Jamal gutted it out and played 36 minutes, putting up 24, 4, and 5, and helping the Nuggets to a 107-97 win in Washington. But after the game, Adelman said that he almost pulled Jamal out of the lineup at the last minute due to his hammy and stated, “He stretched, he was ready to go, then he got out there (and) he was a little bit tight. Jamal’s got, like, you name it. Ankle…Knee…”
Nuggets need to be careful pushing Murray through injuries
If this is truly the case - and there’s no reason for Adelman to lie - the Nuggets need to be very diligent and get Murray some time off. What he’s doing is incredible, admirable, and we know he’s taking pride in being out there for his team, especially with all the other guys out of the lineup.
But at the end of the day, we all know what Murray can do, and the most important thing is to have Jamal and the rest of the team healthy and fresh for the playoffs. So, while he’s having a career-year and looks poised to make an All-NBA team, the Nuggets may have to step in and save him from himself.
If they run him into the ground during hte regular season, that’s not going to do them any good once the postseason starts. And if this doesn’t end with postseason success, then what was the point?
We’re all loving this run by Jamal, and it would be vindicating for the Nuggets to see him play at this level for an entire season. But ultimately, the team is 30-15, and they’ve mostly weathered the storm from all the early-season injuries. Hopefully, within a few weeks, the team will be back at full strength, and they’ll get time off for the All-Star break. They’d be wise to work in some scheduled rest for Murray and make sure that he has plenty of pep left in his step for the stretch run.