Another glimmer of hope for the Nuggets on the injury front
Jul 9, 2022, 10:14 AM
Everyone knows that last season was lost for the Nuggets because of injuries. Any hope that Denver had of competing for a championship, even with Nikola Jokic having a second-consecutive MVP campaign, was dashed because two key players were sidelined for the entire season.
Jamal Murray didn’t play a single game for the Nuggets. The guard who played such a key role in the team’s trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2020 was still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered at the end of the previous season.
Michael Porter Jr. hardly played as well. The 6-foot-10 forward was shelved with a bad back after just nine games, unable to build upon the 19.0-point, 7.3-rebound season the year before that had earned him a five-year, $180-million contract extension.
With two of their three best players out, the Nuggets had no legitimate chance. That’s why everyone held out hope that they’d return by the end of the season. There was a continuing belief that the cavalry would ride in to save the day prior to the playoffs.
They didn’t. And the Nuggets were bounced in the first round, winning just one game against the eventual-champion Warriors.
Now, the page has turned to next season. Denver fans are left to hope that Murray and Porter Jr. can return to compliment Jokic, making the Nuggets a contender in the West once again.
Will they? That’s been a big question. Given how long it’s taken Murray to return, as he’s now 15 months removed from the injury, doubt is starting to creep in. And since back injuries tend to loom, and MPJ has missed multiple seasons with various ailments on that front, skepticism abounds.
Recently, however, there has been a wave of good news.
First, Murray practiced with the team prior to their departure for Summer League. It was the most-intensive five-on-five basketball he’s played since getting hurt.
Now, it appears as though MPJ is on track. That’s what he said last night.
“I think I’m 100 percent at this point,” Porter Jr. said on NBA TV during Denver’s Summer League game on Friday. “It’s a blessing. I feel good. I’m excited to get back on the court and play basketball.”
When will that be? Well, that’s the next step in the equation.
But at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel. At least there’s a reason for optimism after months and months of bad news.
The Nuggets upcoming season is dependent on Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning at full strength. And right now, there’s finally hope that both will be good to go when the season begins.
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