The respective absences of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr will have been the common thread of the season on the Denver side. Respectively operated on for a torn anterior cruciate ligament for Jamal Murray and back for Michael Porter Jr, the two players were ultimately unable to find Mike Malone’s group.
The Colorado franchise has left the door open to a return to the end, and Tim Connelly, president of the Nuggets, explained it to the press, believing that the last word should go to the players. “It’s their physique. When there is an injury, it is the player who must have the last word. did he declare.
Jamal Murray not yet 100% physically and mentally
And the players simply did not feel able to return in time, starting with Jamal Murray who, even at the end, estimated himself at the maximum of 85% of his capacities. So pretty good overall but not enough to come back in a high intensity match, as is the case in the playoffs.
“When people hear the words ‘allowed to come back’ they wonder why I’m not playing”he recalled during his end-of-season interview. “There are really great players, where there is no pain, and I feel like I can go there. Then you have the next day, where I tell myself that I’m not ready yet. On good days, I am confident and I look forward to the sequel. But on calmer days, it is more difficult to envisage the future. Uncertainty is complicated when you don’t know how your body will react.
Jamal Murray was indeed seen during pre-match warm-up, handling the ball and taking shots. But as Tim Connelly explained, he alone had the keys. And the leader confided his apprehensions.
“If I have the ball in hand and I want to go up to the lay-up, I still think about which leg I want to lean on. I haven’t run at full speed or jumped with both feet yet. If there is a stray bullet, I don’t know if I could jump to save it. I still have doubts in my head about my leg”.
In these cases, the wisest decision was indeed to stay on the bench, even if the point guard added that this choice was logically accompanied by its share of frustration.
Michael Porter Jr. remembered the mistakes of the past
Michael Porter Jr. may have suffered less mentally than his teammate. For good reason, the winger has already suffered serious back injuries and these have taught him the importance of patience. With Missouri in 2018, he notably returned “to 40 or 50%” of his capacity.
“I don’t think it was the smartest thing in hindsight. So I’m trying to learn from that experience, and think more long-term.”he pointed out. “I try to be very careful and careful about how to manage this rehabilitation process. Because, for me, it’s just about being healthy. I think I can start from there and go on for a long period in good health”.
Michael Porter Jr. added that he could have returned, “to play on one leg and stand in the corner to take 3-points”. “Would I have been at my best? Certainly not. In times like these, it’s just a matter of thinking long-term rather than short-term.”he continued.
The uncertainty and pressure surrounding their potential return is over, and Denver has plenty to look forward to next season. “We can be the best team in the NBA when everyone is healthy,” thus concluded Michael Porter Jr.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| Nikola Jokic | 74 | 33.5 | 58.3 | 33.7 | 81.0 | 2.8 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 27.1 |
| Aaron Gordon | 75 | 31.7 | 52.0 | 33.5 | 74.3 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 15.0 |
| Will Barton | 71 | 32.1 | 43.8 | 36.5 | 80.3 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 14.7 |
| Monte Morris | 75 | 29.9 | 48.4 | 39.5 | 86.9 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 12.6 |
| Jeff Green | 75 | 24.7 | 52.4 | 31.5 | 83.3 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 10.3 |
| Bones Hyland | 69 | 19.0 | 40.3 | 36.6 | 85.6 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 10.1 |
| Michael Porter, Jr. | 9 | 29.4 | 35.9 | 20.8 | 55.6 | 1.0 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 9.9 |
| Demarcus Cousins | 31 | 13.9 | 45.6 | 32.4 | 73.6 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 8.9 |
| Bryn Forbes | 35 | 17.4 | 42.4 | 41.0 | 92.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 8.6 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 41 | 17.0 | 51.6 | 46.3 | 63.1 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 6.6 |
| Jamychal Green | 67 | 16.2 | 48.6 | 26.6 | 87.1 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 6.4 |
| Austin Rivers | 67 | 22.1 | 41.7 | 34.2 | 72.7 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 6.0 |
| P.j. Dozier | 18 | 18.9 | 36.4 | 31.2 | 76.9 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 5.4 |
| Facundo Campazzo | 65 | 18.2 | 36.1 | 30.1 | 76.9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 5.1 |
| Of that Reed | 48 | 13.9 | 50.3 | 43.0 | 66.7 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 4.4 |
| Vlatko Cancar | 15 | 11.8 | 56.1 | 58.3 | 64.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 4.1 |
| Markus Howard | 31 | 5.7 | 38.6 | 40.0 | 87.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 4.1 |
| bol bol | 14 | 5.8 | 55.6 | 25.0 | 40.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| Rayjon Tucker | 3 | 9.8 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 75.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| James Ennis | 3 | 4.6 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| Petr Cornelie | 13 | 2.9 | 33.3 | 12.5 | 75.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Carlik Jones | 2 | 2.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
