NBA Rumors: The Denver Nuggets' chances of making a deep playoff run might be hanging on by a single thread.
Over the last couple of weeks, Jamal Murray has been sidelined with what has been described as a hamstring injury for the Denver Nuggets. As you would expect, in the time that Murray has been out with the injury, the Nuggets have tumbled down the Western Conference standings. Denver is just 1-4 over the last couple of weeks without Murray and has fallen into their first four-game losing streak of the season. With the NBA Playoffs right around the corner, this is not exactly the lack of momentum that you want to see from the Nuggets.
Entering the final week of the season, the Nuggets are tied for the fourth seed in the West standings, along with the LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors. However, considering there's a good chance they're going to be without Murray for the final few games of the regular season, there's a strong possibility that the Nuggets may drop all the way outside the top-6 in the standings.
If that were to happen, it would make the Nuggets' path toward the conference finals (or deeper) that much more difficult. But, at least for now, the chance of falling into the Play-In Tournament may not even be the biggest concern for the Nuggets. First and foremost, Denver should be worried about Murray's health.
An unhealthy Jamal Murray will almost certainly tank the Nugget's playoff chances
What was described as an injury that was considered "day-to-day," it doesn't seem as if that's the case any longer. At this point, it was probably a bit off to consider him "day-to-day," especially considering that he's missed two weeks.
While there's still hope that Murray will be back for the postseason, that's not the type of report you want to hear a week before the end of the regular season. That's going to instill much confidence in the fan base heading into the most crucial part of the season. There's a strong argument to be made that the big difference between the Nuggets winning the championship two years ago and them falling short last year was the production and effectiveness of Murray.
If the Nuggets are heading into the postseason with a less than 100 percent Murray, it's going to put them at a disadvantage once again. And if Murray is not going to be at his best, it's going to be increasingly difficult for the Nuggets to make a deep playoff run this season. Nikola Jokic is an excellent generational player, but he can only take the Nuggets so far. That's where Murray has been so important to the team.