The Denver Nuggets could not be more ready for a break. Battered by injuries all season long, Denver has rarely been able to put a full lineup on the floor. Starters Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson have all missed significant stretches due to injury. And that list continues to grow as Peyton Watson is expected to miss a decent amount of time with a hamstring injury, and Spencer Jones is still recovering from a concussion.
With these significant injuries, it's easy to see why Jamal Murray and the Nuggets are looking forward to the upcoming All-Star break.
“It helps us get healthy,” said Murray. “We've had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup. This extra week of doing nothing or rehabbing will hopefully get guys back a little sooner than normal. It's just a good week of rest.”
Murray himself is not fully in the clear either. He exited Saturday's 136-120 win over the Chicago Bulls in the fourth quarter with a left hip issue after landing awkwardly on a drive to the basket. His injury had Nuggets fans holding their breath, given how much the team has leaned on him in Jokic's absence.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman is aware of how much the team is leaning on Murray, even making sure to acknowledge how he is battling through injuries of his own.
“Jamal's got like, you name it. Ankle, knee. He's playing through a lot. He's doing it for his team,” said Adelman.
Even throughout the injury chaos, Denver has managed to win games and currently sit third in the West. They'll face the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday right before the All-Star break.
