Denver Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray played in all 82 games this season…injured. That’s impressive. Perhaps reckless. But mostly impressive.
Next season should be different, though. The 21-year-old underwent successful surgery to repair some core muscle injuries, per RealGM:
Jamal Murray has undergone successful surgery to repair core muscle-related injuries.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.
Murray’s injuries got lost amid the push and pull of the regular season. They were seldom talked about, even though he emerged as one of the better newbies from a weak 2016 draft class.
Nuggets head coach Mike Malone praised his toughness accordingly, per The Denver Post‘s Nick Kosmider:
“Toughness is what jumps to mind,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said before Denver’s season finale April 12. “Both mental toughness and physical toughness. He’s gone through a lot of pain this year, a lot of injuries. He never complains. He goes out there and fights through it. We’ve had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup, but for Jamal Murray to get through — as a 19-year-old rookie — a full 82-game season, it speaks to his toughness. I’m very proud of him.”
Murray still managed to close the season on a high note. He averaged 12.3 points and 2.7 assists while putting down 35.6 percent of his threes over his final 29 outings, proving that he could run the offense for stretches at a time while also functioning at a high level within combinations that demanded he play off Nikola Jokic.
Though the Nuggets have made it clear they will prioritize internal growth, you can bet teams that place superstars on the chopping block will come calling about Murray. Jimmy Butler and Paul George rumors figure to heat up again, and if either expresses interest in playing for Denver, Murray serves as a nice anchor for squads preparing to enter a rebuilding period.
But that’s getting way ahead of the game. And the Nuggets may deem him untouchable. They were reluctant to give him up in a deal for George at last February’s trade deadline and will likely do everything they can to build offers around Emmanuel Mudiay, picks, salary fodder and other prospects before they consider including Murray in any package. He flashed that much promise as a rookie—somehow while playing through injury.
