NBA Notes: Nuggets, Jamal Murray, Jazz, Thunder, Chet Holmgren

December 30, 2024

Denver Nuggets

After signing a four-year, maximum-salary extension during the offseason, Jamal Murray has faced some criticism for a slow start to the 2024-25 season.

His first 13 games saw him average just 17.8 points per game on .402/.337/.782 shooting, leading to questions about his performance.

However, Murray has turned things around in recent weeks, averaging 22.2 PPG on .481/.407/.905 shooting in his last 11 outings, highlighted by a season-high 34 points in a win over Detroit on Saturday.

In the wake of that performance, Murray didn’t shy away from defending himself.

“If people are gonna talk about me not making shots, then so be it,” Murray said, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. “I know what I’m capable of. I know what I do. There’s a reason why I’m here, and there’s a reason why I’ve been able to win with this team and be here for years and be able to develop chemistry and all that. So I just let people talk. That’s what they do best.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone echoed his faith in Murray, emphasizing that his star guard has always started slow in the fall before hitting his stride.

“I know that everybody is really riding Jamal Murray really hard right now. That’s not gonna do him any favors, man,” Malone said. “The guy cares. He wants to play better. He wants to help this team. His heart’s in the right place. And supporting him will go a long way. And that’s why I tell guys, don’t look at the damn phone. I don’t give a damn what you guys say about me. And he shouldn’t either.”

Utah Jazz

The Jazz are facing some growing pains with their rookie class. As written by The Athletic’s John Hollinger, both Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier have struggled to make an impact, ranking 331st and 332nd in both Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Box Plus-Minus (BPM) out of the 332 players who have logged at least 200 minutes this season.

While their struggles might be a silver lining for Utah’s draft position, Hollinger points to Williams’ struggles on offense and Collier’s shooting and turnover issues as areas of concern.

But it’s not all negative for the Jazz. In Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia, Brice Sensabaugh stepped up with a season-high 20 points, showcasing his offensive potential. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen noted that while Sensabaugh isn’t a defensive asset, his scoring ability could make him a valuable offensive piece moving forward.

“Performance like Saturday’s suggests he may have enough offensive potential to make up for that,” Larsen wrote.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren‘s recovery from his pelvic fracture continues to be a slow but steady process.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault provided an update on Holmgren’s progress, emphasizing that while Holmgren is eager to return to action, patience is required.

“I’m not going to give you guys the blow-by-blow of what he’s doing, but you don’t go from like crutches to playing,” Daigneault said on Sunday, per The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi. “So there’s going to be a progression, and he’s going to go through that, and he’s right where he should be right now.”

Holmgren, who has been rehabbing since his injury, is expected to gradually increase his workload as he moves toward a full recovery.