Already discreet against the Nets, Jamal Murray wasn't on his plate either in Dallas. In the middle of the third quarter, his +/- was also terrible: with him on the floor, the Nuggets were trailing by 29 points! Uninspired in attack or defense, he brought nothing to his team. Enough to make your coach doubt…
“I will defend him because he is not 100% physically. I thought about doing without it after half-time”, Michael Malone flatly confirms. “Because I saw him and I knew that this was not the Jamal Murray that we see when he is in perfect health. It wasn't him. »
Finally, the playmaker, hampered by his left knee, will remain on the floor for the end of the game. And while the Nuggets fell behind by more than 10 points in the third quarter, they will reverse the trend.
In the 25-6 which will make the difference for the 2023 NBA champions, Jamal Murray scored 12 points, finishing the match with 17 units at 7/18 shooting.
The Nuggets will go where he can take them
“It's not an easy time, but I try to be there for the team, to give what I can offer and not to complain”indicates the Denver player who does not intend to be put in the fridge for a few matches, to recover from these concerns which “ come back from time to time » specifies his coach, who “ speak with him and the technical staff to find out his feelings ».
This is not the first time this season that Michael Malone has defended his player, criticized for his irregular performances. He had already done it in November 2024, and again after this success in Dallas and, one can imagine, will continue in the future.
“I can't help but put him in a good position, to free him from the defense, so that he has a little more space against a smaller defender, because every night he finds himself facing the defender the greatest and most powerful. It attracts attention, underlines the technician. “Right now it's mostly about his health, his rest, and continuing to support him. The team won't go anywhere if Jamal Murray doesn't play at the level we know he does. »
| Jamal Murray | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 82 | 22 | 40.4 | 33.4 | 88.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 9.9 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 81 | 32 | 45.1 | 37.8 | 90.5 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 16.7 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 43.7 | 36.7 | 84.8 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 18.2 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 59 | 32 | 45.6 | 34.6 | 88.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 18.5 |
| 2020-21 | DEN | 48 | 36 | 47.7 | 40.8 | 86.9 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 21.2 |
| 2022-23 | DEN | 65 | 33 | 45.4 | 39.8 | 83.3 | 0.7 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 20.0 |
| 2023-24 | DEN | 59 | 32 | 48.1 | 42.5 | 85.3 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 21.2 |
| 2024-25 | DEN | 31 | 36 | 43.6 | 37.4 | 86.1 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 19.0 |
| Total | 500 | 31 | 45.1 | 37.9 | 86.7 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 17.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
