The Denver Nuggets have some serious introspection to do. The Nuggets took on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, led by Jamal Murray in the absence of Nikola Jokic due to personal reasons. They suffered a 105-90 defeat to the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies, prompting ESPN Analyst Kendrick Perkins to call out Murray for his disappointing performances.
Perkins has previously expressed his worries about the current form of Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray, who signed a maximum contract extension of $208 million during the offseason. After another disappointing performance, Perkins took to social media to reveal his concerns about the Nuggets team in the absence of Nikola Jokic.
Jokic has been out for 2 games and the Nuggets are 0-2!!! At what point are we going to have that conversation and Jamaal Murray???
Kendrick Perkins said on X
Jokic has been out for 2 games and the Nuggets are 0-2!!! At what point are we going to have that conversation and Jamaal Murray??? https://t.co/oRKNnAh3I7
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 18, 2024
Perkins had previously claimed that the Denver Nuggets aren’t championship contenders with Jamal Murray’s current form during an October NBA Today show on ESPN. He restated his claims as the Nuggets fell to 0-2 without Nikola Jokic, who has been sidelined due to personal reasons.
He especially voiced his concerns about the form of Jamal Murray, who ended Sunday’s game with just 13 points on 6-15 shooting to continue his shooting woes. The Nuggets guard has averaged just 17.3 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 9 games this season while shooting under 40% from the field. Murray’s dismal performance comes a day after receiving backlash for sidelining traveling with his team.
Can Jamal Murray regain form in Nikola Jokic’s absence?
Nikola Jokic’s absence has become a worrying issue for the Denver Nuggets. The Serbian star missed his second straight game on Sunday for personal reasons, reportedly because of the birth of his son.
In his absence, Jamal Murray’s play has been far from pleasing for Nuggets fans. Murray has averaged just 14.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds on 38.7% shooting from the field in the last two games without Jokic.
The Nuggets will need a lot more from their star guard after investing a ton of their salary cap into his offseason contract extension. Jokic’s presence in the upcoming games is still questionable, and the team hopes that Murray will break out of his shell soon.
The Nuggets are looking to contend for a championship, and they will need all hands on board with a top-heavy roster. As they continue to stay in Memphis ahead of their Tuesday night NBA Cup match against the Grizzlies, the Nuggets will hope to win a game before heading back home to face the Mavericks.
