On the finish of apply Wednesday, Jamal Murray wore a sweat swimsuit and long-sleeved 2023 NBA Champions T-shirt, engaged on his 3-point shot in a nook of the fitness center. Six days after aggravating his hamstring in Cleveland, the damage nonetheless endured sufficient to restrict him. However not totally.
“He was in a position to take part in some elements of apply right this moment, which was nice to have him there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated. “He did a superb job yesterday when it comes to therapy and participant growth. After which we’ll see how he feels about his work right this moment. I might say for Friday evening he’ll nonetheless be listed as questionable.
The Nuggets (12-10) will host the Clippers in a make-up sport 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 staff returned from a three-game street journey Sunday evening and had a “blackout day” Monday, which means gamers and workers needed to keep residence and away from the staff. 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 stated. “So when you understand that, you must be sensible in your method. …Right this moment we took care of it.
Murray (proper hamstring irritation) missed final two video games — two ends of a back-to-back that Denver break up final weekend in Washington and Atlanta.
After a 141-111 win over the Hawks on Sunday, Malone predicted Murray’s damage would possibly take longer to heal, not like the ankle damage that sidelined backup heart Dario Saric.
“Dario simply rolled his ankle the opposite day (in apply) at Georgetown,” Malone stated then. “I wouldn’t say it’s critical. … We now have such an extended break now between our subsequent match, I anticipate Dario to be again, and I believe there is a good probability Jamal will likely be again too. However we’ll have to attend and see. Jamal’s, now we have to be just a little extra cautious together with his.
Unsurprisingly, the Nuggets’ focus of their first full-fledged apply 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 street. Denver has allowed 34 consecutive mixed offensive rebounds. Opponents rating a mean of 15.5 second probability factors per sport. Solely the Wizards and Thunder permit 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 stated. “We’re within the backside 5 in all of those classes. And my message was this: we hand over 116.8 factors per sport. If we hand over one much less (basket) in transition, one much less ball and do not entice the field within the half court docket, 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 should 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 necessary to the staff as what he says privately, in response to Christian Braun. Though what Jokic stated was brutally sincere.
“I believe folks noticed it. … I don’t know if we’re listening to that or paying attention to that,” Braun stated. “We’re having discussions inside our staff for Nikola to talk out, and we’re having discussions inside our staff for DeAndre (Jordan) to talk out, Russ (Westbrook) to talk out, coach to talk out. expresses, irrespective of who. We now have 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 hear extra to what we discuss internally and what we discuss in our conferences. However I imply, clearly the remark is true. We’re on the bottom; we should produce. It does not matter what it’s. There isn’t any excuse. We now have to win video games.
“We now have one of the best participant on the planet, a high 10 participant of all time on our staff. And he performs very effectively, and he performs very effectively each sport. We should assist him.
Braun careworn that Denver’s continued battle to guard opponents is not an issue of teaching or scheme, and he echoed a lot of what Malone stated concerning the Nuggets being just a few avoidable errors away main enhancements.
And as for that declare that Jokic has cracked the highest 10?
“I’ll let folks talk about it,” Braun stated, “however for my part, it’s there.”
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