The Denver Nuggets will be facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the group stage of the NBA Cup, and they could be without their starting point guard. Jamal Murray has landed on the injury report, as he's dealing with left calf tightness. Murray has been available in all of the Nuggets' games so far, and in their last game against the New Orleans Pelicans, he finished with 17 points and six assists.
If Murray isn't able to go, the Nuggets will have to rely on their depth, which shouldn't be an issue after the moves that they made over the offseason. At the same time, having Murray on the floor would be key for them, especially if they want a chance at the NBA Cup this season.
Jamal Murray's injury status vs. Blazers
Murray is listed as questionable against the Blazers, which means his status could be up in the air. Calf tightness shouldn't be an injury that is taken lightly, so if Murray can't play, it would be a good decision to sit him out. In the event that he doesn't play, Christian Braun, Bruce Brown, and others may have the ball more in their hand, or they may just have Nikola Jokic run more point guard.
Murray has started the season off hot, and earlier this week against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he finished with 43 points. After the game, Jokic spoke about Murray's game and how he saw him prepare during camp to get here.
“He came ready to training camp, and he's healthy,” Jokic said. “He's in shape. It's a product of the good work he did this summer, and we know what he can do when he's shooting the ball. He was really good for us, the reason why we won the game.”
The Nuggets have always been a hard team to beat when Murray gets hot, and he changes the way teams have to prepare for the Nuggets. Though Jokic is the main guy you have to contain, letting Murray get hot would be a big mistake, and he's shown that for the past few years, mainly in the playoffs.
It is still early in the season, so the Nuggets don't want to risk any further injury to Murray, but if he can play, there's a good chance that he'll be out there trying to help his team continue their strong start to the year.
