Denver wasn’t built in a day, and maybe that’s what makes the Colorado franchise’s first title even better. Failures and moments of doubt were numerous but never called into question the Nuggets’ long-term goal of being able to fight for the title.
Asked by Complex, Jamal Murray mentioned the general confidence of the team to explain this rise in power which finally allowed Nikola Jokic’s band to go all the way this season.
Role players who accept their roles
Starting with his own confidence, which had to be rebuilt after his rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in April 2021. Until the day when all his doubts about a possible relapse finally disappeared.
“During rehabilitation, there are so many different mental crossing points in your head. Playing his first back-to-back was a stepping stone. Score 20, 30 points, that’s another box you tick. Not feeling pain, being able to lift more weight, jump in a certain way. It’s all those things that I checked off throughout the season. I would say just before All-Star Break, I felt really good. Even when I had tough days, I knew how to get through them. Then, after the All-Star Break, I started to think to myself that I didn’t even think about my knee on the back-to-back anymore, or the pain. My confidence in the game increased and that was another tick box for me. So I would say right before the All-Star Break, we started to see the game come together and then right after, and right through to the postseason, I thought I was starting to feel like I could do it every night, when I wanted”he explained.
Central to the Nuggets’ success story, his relationship with Nikola Jokic on the pitch also came to a head. Like everything else, you had to fail before you could relish the greatest accomplishment.
“There was a clip somewhere on TV that talked about the duos and said that we hadn’t seen Jokic or me perform at the highest level yet. That was a few years ago, but it stuck with me. I kept that in mind and now that we’ve done it, everyone says our ‘one-two punch’ is really lethal. If I shoot 3-pointers, the opposing pivot has to go out. If they blitz me (aggressive double-teaming), I’m going to find the Joker, and then we can play a four-on-three with the best passing center ever. Our game has so many levels, on the pick-and-roll, because I can put screens on it. We have so many different options. I think we have the most versatile and dominant duo in the league, and that’s not a criticism of the others. I just believe in us, in what we can do and what we have done”he added.
Mike Malone, the confidence booster
A duo that is the basis of everything in Denver, but that the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon or Bruce Brown have helped to sublimate. And reciprocally.
“I think the credit goes to everyone on the pitch. Everyone in the team understood what we could do and how lethal our two-man game with Jokic could be. Like when we said to MPJ or KCP: ‘Hey brother, just stay in the corner, stay patient, we can execute this system, and you will have an open shot’. The guys saw it was true. ‘Aaron Gordon, if you stay on the baseline, you’ll be able to dunk on everyone’. You see ? But it can be hard to say that and expect guys to believe it. But when you start to understand how we play and what we’re looking for, everything comes naturally.”.
To finish on the subject, Jamal Murray also spoke about the evolution of his relationship with his coach, Mike Malone, also based on growing confidence, which resulted in this almost perfect postseason, where everyone knew what they had to do. and executed it brilliantly. So much so that the Nuggets could have played with their eyes closed.
“He did a good job with me, trusting me every year. You know, there are times in the game where he could announce a system, and I could say, ‘No, let’s do that instead. And he will answer me that it is a very good idea. When I came to the league, obviously as a rookie, I didn’t have that level of confidence. Today, it’s more an exchange of views on what we see. And even if we don’t agree, we can find a solution. He gives me the ball at the end of games, making sure everyone is ready for our two-man game (with Nikola Jokic). So I think it’s just a matter of trust between us, understanding trends, mine and his.”.
For the result that we know today.
| Jamal Murray | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 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 | 0.4 | 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 | 2.3 | 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 | 0.3 | 20.0 |
| Total | 410 | 31 | 44.7 | 37.3 | 87.0 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 16.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
