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The Denver Nuggets have been a long-shot contender in the Western Conference since finishing as the second seed in the 2018-19 NBA season. The dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray was stellar on the team's run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 NBA Bubble.
However, the Denver Nuggets will face the 2021-22 NBA season without Jamal Murray. That's because he is out with a knee injury sustained on April 12th in the game against the Golden State Warriors.
With, Jokic, the reigning NBA MVP, Denver put up a hot streak to finish last year's regular season with a 13-5 record. They ended third in the Western Conference with a 47-25 record. The Nuggets were helped by solid play from role players like Facundo Campazzo, newly-renewed Aaron Gordon and Monte Morris.
Obviously, another great contributor for the Denver Nuggets without Jamal Murray was Michael Porter Jr. He will definitely have lots of expectations on him for the upcoming campaign.
The Nuggets came off a second-round exit without Jamal Murray against the Phoenix Suns. Next season could be similar for the team if they do not have Murray on the roster for an extended part of the campaign.
ACL tears are no longer career-threatening injuries in the NBA. But they are still some of the ugliest injuries a player can face. The timeline for a player's return from ACL tears has varied lately. But if teams are cautious about such injuries, especially the Nuggets, it might take close to a year for Jamal Murray to return.
If so, how would the Denver Nuggets work without Murray, especially at the offensive end? Let us take a look at five such ways:
#5 Facundo Campazzo's efficiency and Will Barton's durability have to be on point
Facundo Campazzo's first season in the NBA, coming from Real Madrid and a lengthy, accomplished international career with Argentina, was not easy. He initially gave a few bursts to the Denver Nuggets coming off the bench, before he was trusted with a starting role after Jamal Murray's injury.
Campazzo is a tremendous passer, a quality many knew about him from his performances with Argentina and Real Madrid. However, the 5' 10'' Argentine guard struggled with his shooting efficiency, making 38% of his shots and 35% of his threes in the regular season. He shot well from the free-throw line, with 87%.
His three-point shooting improved to 39% in the postseason, but his overall shooting was still at 39%. The Argentine guard will definitely need to improve those aspects to be able to help the Denver Nuggets' offense without Jamal Murray.
Meanwhile, Will Barton was the fourth-best option for the Denver Nuggets' offense in the 2020-21 NBA regular season. However, he appeared in 56 of the team's 72 games, playing in three postseason matches.
He's staying with the Denver Nuggets for the 2021-22 NBA season after signing a two-year, $30-million deal. So he will be key for the team's offense in the upcoming campaign, especially in Murray's absence.
Barton could not be available for the team in the closing stages of the regular season and last year's postseason. So his durability will be needed for the Denver Nuggets to cover up for Jamal Murray.
#4 Monte Morris must continue his role from the 2021 NBA Playoffs
Monte Morris is a good scoring option for the Denver Nuggets' backcourt. Considering that Nikola Jokic is the de facto point guard, Morris' job is to take advantage of scoring chances in games.
Last season, Morris put up ten points and three assists per game with Jamal Murray, while also putting up 46/35/76 shooting splits. Without Murray, Morris averaged 10.9 points and 3.5 assists per game in the regular season, with impressive shooting splits of 53/48/100.
In the NBA Playoffs, Morris averaged 13.7 points and 5.5 assists per game as his minutes increased. He also put up 43/40/72 shooting splits in ten games. Morris' production will need to be similar next year for the Denver Nuggets to find success in the absence of their top guard.
Also Read: Who is Jamal Murray’s Girlfriend, Harper Hempel?
#3 Aaron Gordon must step up his offensive game
Aaron Gordon was traded to the Denver Nuggets from the Orlando Magic on the March 25th deadline for the 2020-21 NBA season. At the time, he had averages of 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He had a 43% field-goal percentage and a career-high 37% 3P field-goal percentage.
After arriving in Denver, the team went 7-0 in Gordon's first seven games. But Jamal Murray went down in Gordon's ninth game with the Nuggets. The team kept their composure and went 19-6 in Gordon's 25 regular-season games at Denver.
However, Gordon's offense took a nosedive, as he averaged 10.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. While he made 50% of his shots with Denver in the regular season, he only averaged 8.2 field-goal attempts as opposed to 11.7 with the Orlando Magic.
Obviously, arriving at a new, better team was always going to impact some of Gordon's numbers. But he'll need to find more offensive opportunities next year. He averaged 11 points per game with 43/39/64 shooting splits in the NBA Playoffs, but his energy looked a little down, especially in defense.
Now, after signing a four-year, $92-million extension with the Denver Nuggets, Gordon will need to step up every area of his game in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#2 Nikola Jokic needs another NBA MVP-caliber season
This might be the most straightforward and reliable of all these points, but also the most important for the Denver Nuggets in the 2021-22 NBA season. Nikola Jokic will need to have a brilliant, all-around campaign in the 2021-22 NBA regular season for the Denver Nuggets to be competitive in Murray's absence.
Last year, the Serbian won the NBA MVP award after playing each of the team's 72 regular-season matches. He averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game with 56/38/86 shooting splits, guiding the team to a 47-25 record and the third seed in the West.
Many expect him to fall off the NBA MVP discussion next year, as he's eighth on the Vegas Insider odds for next season's award. Nevertheless, Nikola Jokic could win another NBA MVP award if he takes the Denver Nuggets near the top spots in the regular season.
#1 Michael Porter Jr. will need to deliver for the Denver Nuggets
Even if Nikola Jokic has another NBA MVP-type season, the biggest key for the Denver Nuggets without Jamal Murray will be Michael Porter Jr.
His defense still has to improve a lot, but Porter Jr.'s offense seems to evolve at a faster rate. In what was only his second season in the NBA. Porter gave the Nuggets 19 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with 54/44/79 shooting splits in the regular season.
In 23 games without Murray, Porter averaged 22.8 points and seven rebounds per game with 54/44/85 shooting splits last year in the regular season. The Nuggets will need Porter Jr. to better these numbers next season to have a chance to remain a top competitor in the West.
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