Jamal Murray injury history: Doing a deep dive into playing time missed by Denver Nuggets star

Jamal Murray has been touted as a key piece for the Denver Nuggets' future next to Nikola Jokic and he proved that to everyone during his team's championship run in the most recent NBA Finals.

Although Jokic is the clear leader of the Denver Nuggets squad, it would be foolish to discredit Murray's contributions to the team. Everything that he has done and will continue to do becomes even more impressive considering that not too long ago, he sat out an entire season due to an injury.

Jamal Murray suffered an injury on April 12, 2021, against the Golden State Warriors. Prior to this occurring, he missed several games due to injuries, most notably to his feet, knees, and ankles. The next day, the Nuggets would announce that the injury that Murray sustained against the Warriors was an ACL tear and that he would need to undergo surgery.

The hearts of Nuggets fans were broken after the announcement as their team was looking like a legitimate contender, especially after Murray's breakout performance in the Orlando Bubble and the acquisition of Aaron Gordon.

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Jamal Murray's road to recovery

Jamal Murray would miss the rest of the season and despite Denver making it into the Western Conference Semifinals under Nikola Jokic's leadership, they would fall to the Phoenix Suns in four games to end their 2020-21 season.

Murray would miss the entire 2021-22 season but he showed positive signs of recovery, even posting a video of him dunking off two feet.

The Denver Nuggets would once again get eliminated in the playoffs, this time at the hands of the Warriors in five games in the opening round without their starting point guard.

Murray would continue to work on returning throughout the off-season prior to the 2022-23 campaign and would eventually make his on-court return after a 539-day absence in a preseason game that took place on October 3, 2022.

He played 65 games throughout the 2022-23 season and showed everyone that his return was worth waiting for and the time he spent in recovery was vital, as he averaged an incredible 20 points and 6.2 assists per game. He also displayed incredible shooting efficiency on his comeback tour as he shot for 45% from the field and almost 40% from downtown.

The Denver Nuggets would secure the number one seed in the West with a 53-29 record and would go on to dominate in the playoffs. Jamal Murray stepped up his performance in post-season action as he averaged 26.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 5 rebounds.

His team would go on to have a 16-4 record in the playoffs and his contributions were key in helping them secure the franchise's first championship.