Nuggets get bad injury news on Jamal Murray

Feb 8, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) reacts in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets will be without their Robin for an extended period.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is likely to be sidelined for the rest of November due to a hamstring strain. Wojnarowski notes that Denver is taking a cautious approach with Murray and that the expectation is he will be out for three-to-four-weeks (potentially stretching Murray’s absence into early-to-mid December).

The former lottery pick Murray is Denver’s best off-the-dribble shot-maker and was averaging a career-high 7.4 assists per game this season in the early going. Murray say out Monday’s win over New Orleans with the hamstring issue and now looks poised to miss at least another dozen games or more.

That might be a death blow to the Nuggets’ hopes in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, which runs through Nov. 28 for group play and from Dec. 4-9 for the playoff. But Denver, as the reigning champions, probably only cares about getting Murray right in time for the real NBA postseason (especially given the nagging nature of hamstring injuries and Murray’s reliance on shiftiness and burst to get separation from his defenders).

The Nuggets are still off to a blistering 7-1 start to the season and can rely on Reggie Jackson to replicate some of Murray’s scoring and creating. But they have gotten some bad injury luck in the last few months, and Murray’s extended absence now continues that.