Jamal Murray, in his first season back with the Denver Nuggets after missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season with a torn ACL, was phenomenal. Sure, he missed a few regular season games here and there, but in the playoffs, Murray showed that there are no lights that are too bright for him. Now an NBA champion, Murray looked primed for a major leap, with head coach Michael Malone even setting a lofty All-Star selection goal for the 26-year old point guard.

However, Murray's 2023-24 season grinds to a screeching halt for now. Murray suffered a hamstring strain that the Nuggets fear would keep the talented guard out for “longer” than they would like, with Malone even saying that this injury won't just require a one or two-game absence, per Associated Press via ESPN.

This puts the onus on the rest of the Nuggets' supporting cast to fill the huge void Jamal Murray would leave, especially in the shot-creation and shot-making department. Reggie Jackson figures to be the next man up, but in the Nuggets' first game this season without Murray starting, it was an unsung hero who showed out in preseason that came out to play.

With Jackson struggling from the field, the Nuggets turned to rookie sharpshooter Julian Strawther to fill some minutes in the backcourt, and the 21-year old delivered. He put up 21 points on an incredible 8-13 shooting from the field, including 5-9 from deep, to give the Nuggets some much-needed offensive spark as they came back from a double-digit deficit against the New Orleans Pelicans to win in resounding fashion, 134-116.

A ton of credit must go to the Nuggets rookie for staying prepared and giving it his all once Michael Malone called upon his number. And who knows, perhaps he could earn himself a bigger role than many expected from him coming out of Gonzaga.

“It’s one of those things to stay ready. You know there’s minutes up for grabs, we don’t know where they were going to go,” Strawther said in his postgame presser. “After the first two go in it’s like, ‘How many can you make?' There are a bunch of guys on this team that have that kind of mentality. They see the ball go in and it’s over after that.”