The Nuggets shouldn’t shelve Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Denver's moment of opportunity is right now, not in the future, so the idea of not putting two of their three best players back on the court is irresponsible

BY JAMES MERILATT

Apr 4, 2022, 6:23 AM

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When the 2021-22 NBA season started, the game plan was easy for the Nuggets. It was universally accepted that Denver simply needed to keep their head above water until Jamal Murray returned from his ACL injury, putting themselves in a position to make a late-season run.

That was the idea. And it seemed to make sense. Until things started drifting off course.

First, Michael Porter Jr. was lost after just nine games. The promising forward was coming off his best season as a pro, but would be out indefinitely after his undergoing yet another back surgery.

With two of their three “max” players out, meaning the Nuggets had a lot of money tied up in assets that could be put to use, the plan seemed to change. More and more people started punting on the season.

As unofficial deadlines passed, that crowd grew in numbers. When Murray and MPJ didn’t return after the All-Star break, more people said the season was over. Then, March 1 came and went. Mid-March passed. And finally, by April Fools Day, hoped seemed lost.

Neither player had been seen on the court in months. Rehab assignments to Denver’s G-League team in Grand Rapids we’re scrapped or revised. And it was announced that Porter Jr. had suffered a “setback” during his rehab.

That was it. Almost everyone in Nuggets Nation threw up their hands. It wasn’t going to happen this season.

Never mind that Denver is getting another MVP-worthy performance from Nikola Jokic. Disregard that the Nuggets have all but avoided the play-in game. And ignore the fact that 50 wins and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs are still a possibility with only a few days left in the season.

People simply want to punt on this year. They’re content to let it be “the season before the season,” as Zach Bye likes to say on The Fan.

It may very well turn out to be that in the end. That’s a realistic possibility.

But the Nuggets shouldn’t settle for that date. They shouldn’t willingly turn the page to 2022-23.

If Murray and/or Porter are ready to play at any time during what’s left of the regular season or at any moment in the playoffs, they should be on the court. If they are healthy and can help the team, they need to be in uniform.

Any suggestion otherwise is the wrong approach. Completely.

The first argument is for the health of the players. They’ve been rehabbing and working out with the finest doctors and trainers in the business. So if they’re cleared to go, there’s no reason to doubt them.

Murray and Porter Jr. can’t be wrapped in bubble wrap and protected forever. At some point, they have to test their recovered knee and back, respectively. Why not now?

The second argument against “rushing” the players back is that the Nuggets window isn’t close to shutting any time soon. The sense is that they’ll have many more opportunities. So why rush it now?

Of course, the same thing was said when they lost Game 7 of their second-round series to the Trail Blazers on their home floor in 2019. Three years later, COVID, Murray’s injury and now the Murray/MPJ recovery have potentially derailed three seasons. Time goes by fast.

There’s no guarantee that Jokic will continue to play at this level. He’s putting up unprecedented numbers. To waste a second season of him being the best player in the NBA is irresponsible. It’s wasting a golden opportunity.

Things happen in the NBA. Careers and franchises change quickly.

Ask Derrick Rose. Or Klay Thompson.

Heck, just look at the 1994 Nuggets. That young, upstart team was supposed to compete for years in the West after upsetting the Sonics and taking the Jazz to the brink in the postseason. But a freak LaPhonso Ellis injury, Dikembe Mutombo walking via free agency and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf running afoul of the league for his national anthem protest derailed everything. In a heartbeat.

As the great Apollo Creed said in “Rocky III,” “There is no tomorrow.” In other words, don’t count on another chance coming around again. Carpe diem.

The Nuggets have had a remarkable season. Jokic and head coach Michael Malone deserve a ton of credit for keeping Denver competitive with a roster that was often held together with baling wire and duct tape.

And they’ve discovered some nice pieces along the way. They’ve developed and found some players who can be integral to a championship run.

Bones Hyland is a joy to watch and a streaky scorer. Aaron Gordon has rediscovered the aggressive style that made him a tough player to defend when he was in Orlando. And DeMarcus Cousins gives them an inside presence, and overall dose of toughness, that has been missing in the past.

With Murray and MPJ, the Nuggets have a championship-caliber roster. That duo, along with Jokic, Gordon and Monte Morris are a great starting five. Cousins, Hyland and Will Barton should be their main players off the bench, providing instant offense and toughness, with JaMychal Green, Austin Rivers and Davon Reed chipping in when needed.

But the time to see it all come together isn’t next season. It’s now.

The West isn’t particularly strong. Yes, Phoenix has an impressive record. But they have no championship pedigree. Memphis is the No. 2 seed. Golden State is reeling down the stretch without Steph Curry. The Lakers and Clippers are down. The time is now.

Don’t waste this season. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Get Murray and Porter Jr. back on the court. And seize the day.

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