The Denver Nuggets are primed to be one of the Phoenix Suns‘ biggest rivals next season, with renewed optimism around the franchise heading into 2022-23.
That rejuvenation stems from the return of key players, namely exciting young forward Michael Porter Jr, and impressive 25-year-old guard Jamal Murray. The latter, the Nuggets second-best player behind two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, is confident ahead of his return from an ACL tear that saw him miss all of last season.
Denver Nuggets’ point-guard Jamal Murray isn’t worried about the Phoenix Suns, but rather his own team and their internal development.
Speaking to ESPN last week, Murray was adamant on the team’s focus on themselves rather than any of their Western Conference rivals.
"“We have a great team. Everybody knows what we can do, you’ve seen the snippets of what we can do when we’re all healthy together, so we just look forward to that. We don’t care what the Suns have and what the Lakers have, we just want to be healthy so we can do what we set out to do.”"
This isn’t some kind of outlandish comment – all teams should be confident of their own abilities, particularly a team as talented and deep as the Nuggets. However, why he mentioned Phoenix, and a Los Angeles team that didn’t make the playoffs, is a little more perplexing.
Perhaps he was prompted by writer Kate Pitman who, although not obvious in the article, may have mentioned the teams prior to Murray’s comment. If not, then why not mention the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, or the Western Conference Finalist Dallas Mavericks?
Maybe it goes back to a chippy second-round series in the 2021 playoffs? Murray was an onlooker as the Suns handed the Nuggets a sweep in comfortable, convincing fashion. Whatever the reason is, it only adds spice to the teams’ marquee matchup on the NBA’s mouth watering Christmas Day schedule.