5 ways in which Denver Nuggets could cover for Jamal Murray in the 2021-22 NBA season
The Denver Nuggets have been a long-shot contender in the Western Conference since finishing as the second seed in the 2018-19 NBA season. The dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was stellar on the team's run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 NBA Bubble.
However, the Denver Nuggets will face the 2021-22 NBA season without Jamal Murray. That's because he is out with a knee injury sustained on April 12th in the game against the Golden State Warriors.
With, Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, Denver put up a hot streak to finish last year's regular season with a 13-5 record. They ended third in the Western Conference with a 47-25 record. The Nuggets were helped by solid play from role players like Facundo Campazzo, newly-renewed Aaron Gordon and Monte Morris.
Obviously, another great contributor for the Denver Nuggets without Jamal Murray was Michael Porter Jr. He will definitely have lots of expectations on him for the upcoming campaign.
The Nuggets came off a second-round exit without Jamal Murray against the Phoenix Suns. Next season could be similar for the team if they do not have Murray on the roster for an extended part of the campaign.
ACL tears are no longer career-threatening injuries in the NBA. But they are still some of the ugliest injuries a player can face. The timeline for a player's return from ACL tears has varied lately. But if teams are cautious about such injuries, especially the Nuggets, it might take close to a year for Jamal Murray to return.
If so, how would the Denver Nuggets work without Murray, especially at the offensive end? Let us take a look at five such ways:
#5 Facundo Campazzo's efficiency and Will Barton's durability have to be on point
Facundo Campazzo's first season in the NBA, coming from Real Madrid and a lengthy, accomplished international career with Argentina, was not easy. He initially gave a few bursts to the Denver Nuggets coming off the bench, before he was trusted with a starting role after Jamal Murray's injury.
Campazzo is a tremendous passer, a quality many knew about him from his performances with Argentina and Real Madrid. However, the 5' 10'' Argentine guard struggled with his shooting efficiency, making 38% of his shots and 35% of his threes in the regular season. He shot well from the free-throw line, with 87%.
His three-point shooting improved to 39% in the postseason, but his overall shooting was still at 39%. The Argentine guard will definitely need to improve those aspects to be able to help the Denver Nuggets' offense without Jamal Murray.
Meanwhile, Will Barton was the fourth-best option for the Denver Nuggets' offense in the 2020-21 NBA regular season. However, he appeared in 56 of the team's 72 games, playing in three postseason matches.
"Will Barton will have the best season of his career by a comfortable margin" - @Adam_Mares
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He's staying with the Denver Nuggets for the 2021-22 NBA season after signing a two-year, $30-million deal. So he will be key for the team's offense in the upcoming campaign, especially in Murray's absence.
Barton could not be available for the team in the closing stages of the regular season and last year's postseason. So his durability will be needed for the Denver Nuggets to cover up for Jamal Murray.
#4 Monte Morris must continue his role from the 2021 NBA Playoffs
Monte Morris is a good scoring option for the Denver Nuggets' backcourt. Considering that Nikola Jokic is the de facto point guard, Morris' job is to take advantage of scoring chances in games.
Last season, Morris put up ten points and three assists per game with Jamal Murray, while also putting up 46/35/76 shooting splits. Without Murray, Morris averaged 10.9 points and 3.5 assists per game in the regular season, with impressive shooting splits of 53/48/100.
Really interesting stat on @cleantheglass, out of all guards with at least 750 minutes this past season, Monte Morris had the second-lowest turnover percentage.
Chris Paul was much lower on the list with an 11.3 turnover percentage.
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In the NBA Playoffs, Morris averaged 13.7 points and 5.5 assists per game as his minutes increased. He also put up 43/40/72 shooting splits in ten games. Morris' production will need to be similar next year for the Denver Nuggets to find success in the absence of their top guard.
Also Read: Who is Jamal Murray’s Girlfriend, Harper Hempel?