The Denver Nuggets received some devastating news today. According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, Jamal Murray has a torn ACL in his left knee. The Nuggets guard suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter in their loss against the Golden State Warriors last night. It was a non-contact injury that left Murray writhing in pain.
Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray has a torn ACL in his left knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2021
Jamal Murray Has a Torn ACL
Murray became a cornerstone of the Nuggets franchise ever since his performance last year. In his 48 games this year, Murray was averaging a career-high 21.2 points, four rebounds, and 4.8 assists per contest. He was also having an efficient season as he shot 47.7 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. With this injury, the Nuggets guard will miss the rest of this season and possibly a good chunk of the next NBA season.
Implications for the Denver Nuggets
After a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, many basketball fans saw the Nuggets as a contender in a competitive Western Conference this season. With Murray’s devastating injury, the Nuggets’ chances of winning a title this year have dwindled. While their star center Nikola Jokic is having an MVP-type season, the Nuggets will have to find a way to fill the void for Murray with their play. He is a player who has the ability to take over a game for the Nuggets and a volatile scorer. This is a huge blow for Denver.
Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris will split time at the point guard spot in Murray’s absence. Furthermore, Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter will need to do more offensively to fill his void. Jokic will have to be his MVP-self and then some for the Nuggets to come playoff time. Let’s see what this Nuggets team is made of without Murray with 18 games left in the regular season.
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