Nuggets star questionable in opposition to Clippers

On the finish of follow Wednesday, Jamal Murray wore a sweat go well with and long-sleeved 2023 NBA Champions T-shirt, engaged on his 3-point shot in a nook of the gymnasium. Six days after aggravating his hamstring in Cleveland, the harm nonetheless endured sufficient to restrict him. However not totally.

“He was in a position to take part in some elements of follow right this moment, which was nice to have him there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned. “He did a great job yesterday by way of therapy and participant growth. After which we’ll see how he feels about his work right this moment. I’d say for Friday evening he’ll nonetheless be listed as questionable.

The Nuggets (12-10) will host the Clippers in a make-up recreation Friday after the 2 groups, who’ve already met twice this season, have been eradicated early from the NBA Cup. In the meantime, Denver has an uncommon four-day hole between video games for the second time in as many months. The workforce returned from a three-game highway journey Sunday evening and had a “blackout day” Monday, that means gamers and workers needed to keep dwelling and away from the workforce. enviornment. On Tuesday, the gamers got here for particular person therapy and private growth work.

“It’s so bizarre. This week, two matches in seven days. Subsequent week, two out of seven. After which the Grinch comes out; we play 5 out of seven Christmas week,” Malone mentioned. “So when you understand that, you need to be sensible in your strategy. …At present we took care of it.

Murray (proper hamstring irritation) missed final two video games — two ends of a back-to-back that Denver cut up final weekend in Washington and Atlanta.

After a 141-111 win over the Hawks on Sunday, Malone predicted Murray’s harm would possibly take longer to heal, in contrast to the ankle harm that sidelined backup middle Dario Saric.

“Dario simply rolled his ankle the opposite day (in follow) at Georgetown,” Malone mentioned then. “I wouldn’t say it’s critical. … We’ve got such an extended break now between our subsequent match, I anticipate Dario to be again, and I feel there is a good likelihood Jamal will probably be again too. However we’ll have to attend and see. Jamal’s, now we have to be somewhat extra cautious together with his.

Unsurprisingly, the Nuggets’ focus of their first full-fledged follow of the week was protection. They rank sixteenth within the league in factors allowed per 100 possessions, whereas their offense is seventh.

Defensive rebounding, particularly, has resurfaced as a significant concern on the highway. Denver has allowed 34 consecutive mixed offensive rebounds. Opponents rating a mean of 15.5 second likelihood factors per recreation. Solely the Wizards and Thunder enable extra.

“There are three areas we actually have to proceed to give attention to (defensively): transition, portray and rebounding. These three areas are actually hurting us,” Malone mentioned. “We’re within the backside 5 in all of those classes. And my message was this: we surrender 116.8 factors per recreation. If we surrender one much less (basket) in transition, one much less ball and do not entice the field within the half courtroom, and one much less offensive rebound, we are able to go all the way down to 110.8. It is proper there. It hangs within the air. We simply need to do a greater job of taking it.

Braun on Jokic’s feedback within the media

That of Nikola Jokic ironic remark this weekend suggesting pay cuts might encourage the Nuggets has made waves within the nationwide media, however what he says publicly is not as essential to the workforce as what he says privately, in accordance with Christian Braun. Though what Jokic mentioned was brutally trustworthy.

“I feel individuals noticed it. … I don’t know if we’re listening to that or paying attention to that,” Braun mentioned. “We’re having discussions inside our workforce for Nikola to talk out, and we’re having discussions inside our workforce for DeAndre (Jordan) to talk out, Russ (Westbrook) to talk out, coach to talk out. expresses, regardless of who. We’ve got loads of guys talking up. And we want extra of it. And there are locations the place we are able to enhance that as effectively. However we do not watch the media an excessive amount of. We’re making an attempt to pay attention extra to what we speak about internally and what we speak about in our conferences. However I imply, clearly the remark is correct. We’re on the bottom; we should produce. It does not matter what it’s. There is no such thing as a excuse. We’ve got to win video games.

“We’ve got one of the best participant on the earth, a high 10 participant of all time on our workforce. And he performs very effectively, and he performs very effectively each recreation. We should assist him.