Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a bit of an up and down start to the 2023-24 NBA season as they look to defend their NBA championship trophy from a year ago. The Nuggets got out of the gates strong this year, and Jokic has continued to perform like the reigning NBA Finals MVP that he is, but Denver has stumbled a bit as of late, dropping four out of their last five games, including a blowout loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets.

One player who has been out of the lineup for Denver is point guard Jamal Murray, who continues to nurse an injury to his hamstring, and Nuggets head coach Michael Malone cannot wait for his team's best perimeter player to get back and healthy.

“Jamal Murray's the guy that we get out to be the anchor with that second unit,” said Malone, per Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports.
“He's a guy that in the NBA Finals averaged 20, 10, and 6, so obviously that's a big loss when you don't have that guy out there… so yeah, I would say that the second unit struggles have been [tied to] not having Jamal, but that's not an excuse because injuries happen. So, I have to help those guys, and those guys have to help themselves just be better.”

Murray is indeed often seen with the Nuggets bench unit when he's healthy to eat up the minutes that Nikola Jokic is not on the floor. Denver's bench units have looked considerably less potent in his absence.