Denver Nuggets Injury Report (Nov 4th): Latest update on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's status
The Denver Nuggets are playing in their second night of a back-to-back. The Nuggets defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 3 and will face the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 4. Denver has won five of their first six games this season and look every inch the championship contender.
At the time of writing, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are expected to play against the Bulls. The Nuggets star duo have started the new season strong and have been cooking opposing defenses with their versatile offense and unique brand of half-court defense.
Jokic is playing at an MVP level to begin the season. The veteran big man is averaging 27.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists on 64.5% shooting from the field and 40.9% shooting from 3-point range. He's only going to get better as the season progresses and he finds his rhythm.
Denver hasn't missed a beat since winning the 2023 NBA Championship. They're already dominating their opponents and have been boosted by the high-intensity play of sophomore Christian Braun.
The Bulls have struggled to begin the new season. Facing Denver is probably the last thing they want to do, as they attempt to build some momentum to carry them up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Denver Nuggets won their first in-season tournament game
On Nov. 3, the Denver Nuggets played their first-ever in-season tournament contest, defeating the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas was unbeaten heading into the contest and provided strong competition to test the Nuggets roster and force them to raise their game.
Jamal Murray, who struggled from the floor, shooting just 5-of-15, led the game in assists, dishing out 13 dimes for his teammates. Murray has been cooking as a playmaker to begin the season, averaging 8.7 dimes per game over his first six outings.
The Nuggets will utilize their star guard's passing ability as often as possible as they look to get their shooters and slashers in ideal positions to take high-quality shots.
By winning their first in-season tournament game, the Nuggets have positioned themselves to take control of their group. The top team from each group will progress into the knock-out rounds.
Denver still has games against the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets in their in-season tournament schedule.
Given the Nuggets' strength in depth and elite-level play, they should feel confident about securing wins in each of their remaining tournament games and earning themselves a shot in the knockout stages.
Denver's front office is trying to build a dynasty; winning as many competitions as possible is the best way to do that.