Jamal Murray offers some much-needed insight into what may be plaguing the Denver Nuggets as they continue to struggle with inconsistency this season.
At this point in the season, it's pretty safe to assume that the Denver Nuggets are suffering more than just a slow start to the season. They're currently 9-7 and while they're right in the thick of the Western Conference race, this is a team that does continue to leave much to be desired as a potential contender. With the inconsistency that the Nuggets are currently playing with, it's almost impossible to not suggest that this team has taken a step back compared to recent years.
The good news is that the Nuggets have time to figure things out. The regular season is long and the rest of the West isn't exactly running away as perhaps they should be. Nevertheless, whether or not the Nuggets will be able to identify their true issues and then solve them is an entirely different story.
In the words of Jamal Murray, he believes that one of the biggest issues that the Nuggets are currently facing is the lack of focus.
"It's a long season. Guys have lives outside of basketball. We just beat LA in LA. We've got some guys who live in LA, so stayed in LA. I don't think the focus was there from everybody, and that's what happens when you don't have the focus."Jamal Murray
The Denver Nuggets' biggest issue
Shortly after the quote took off on social media, Murray went to X to add context to the situation. However, it is clear that something is still off with this team. Murray can't relay a quote and then post something on social media to make it all go away.
We all stayed in LA BTW! and had a great win. Not excluding myself guys we didn’t play together tonight✌🏽
— Jamal Murray (@BeMore27) November 26, 2024
I would suppose that Murray would be one of the players who knows what exactly is plaguing the Nuggets but I'm also not sure it's that simple. The Nuggets are playing below-average defense and have one of the least productive bench units in the league. But their struggles may not be that simple either.
At this point, it's difficult to solve the Nuggets issues as an outside voice without knowing what exactly is truly plaguing this team. One thing is clear, despite the uncertainty of what is truly holding this team back, and it's that the Nuggets can't afford to let this season burn. As Nikola Jokic continues to play at an extremely high level, the last thing the Nuggets need is to waste a year of his prime. And with the way they're playing right now, that's exactly how they're trending.