The Denver Nuggets will come out of the NBA All-Star break at the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference, sitting just three games out of first place. The defending champions have unsurprisingly been one of the West’s top teams throughout the season and we can expect them to rev things up with the playoffs just over the horizon.
Lead point guard Jamal Murray has been a huge piece of their success, averaging 20.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. However, he suffered bilateral tibia inflammation (shin splints) right before the All-Star break and missed last Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
Here’s the latest timeline for Murray’s return and how bettors should approach the Nuggets while he’s sidelined.
Jamal Murray injury news
There weren’t many updates on Murray’s status throughout the All-Star break and it can be assumed that he’ll be fine once the Nuggets return to action. Denver showed precaution when keeping its point guard out for the final game before the break and with over a week off, he should be good to go.
Playoff implications for Nuggets
Denver is within striking distance of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and will be a threat to take that spot as long as Murray and Nikola Jokic are healthy. The reigning champs have maintained their status as one of the league’s elite even with some light criticisms of them sleepwalking through the early-season slate. As mentioned before, this veteran group has entered a space where it can crank things up when the playoffs draw near and we can expect to see that down the stretch.
Betting/fantasy impact
Murray should be back on the floor, even if the Nuggets decide to ease him back in following the All-Star break. In the event that he isn’t, veteran backup Reggie Jackson will be in line for more minutes and would be a good value play in DFS formats.