The Denver Nuggets are flying high to start their title defense. The team finds itself 7-1 to start the 2023-24 campaign, which included a win over the Dallas Mavericks in their first In-Season Tournament matchup. But on Wednesday evening, the team got a bit of bad news regarding the health and availability of standout guard Jamal Murray.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the hamstring injury that Murray suffered during a game against the Chicago Bulls over the weekend will cost him an extended period of time. The plan, according to Wojnarowski, is for Murray to take things slow as to not risk re-injuring himself, and as a result, he’s not expected to play again in the month of November.
Via ESPN:
The Nuggets are taking a cautious approach to assure there will be no lingering issues with the hamstring, and there’s an expectation that Murray will need three to four weeks to properly heal before returning to play, sources said.
While Denver is good enough that it should be able to navigate the next month — which includes In-Season Tournament games against the Clippers, Pelicans, and Rockets — it’s a tough pill to swallow for Murray, who was primed to build off of his exceptional postseason last year as he tries to earn the first All-Star or All-NBA nod of his career. Prior to his injury, Murray averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 assists in 30.9 minutes per game.