2 min read • April 21, 2022
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Jamal Murray bit back on Twitter at unsubstantiated rumors of the All-Star guard not wanting to play for Denver just over a year after the Nuggets' point man tore his left ACL.
Murray’s response and the extended nature of his absence point to an important facet of ACL recovery, according to the ProBasketballDocs. Every injury and rehab is its own unique case and the process is painstakingly gradual.
Murray’s size and playing style contribute to his long-winding road back.
As the lead ball-handler and someone who has to guard ones and twos on the other side, Murray relies on quickness and change of direction, two things that hinge on the strength and malleability of the ligament.
Multiple columnists have opined that Murray’s final hurdle is a mental one as he needs to regain trust in his knee.
He suffered the injury last April 12 on a normal play – driving into the paint for a layup – that he probably makes hundreds of times a season, if not more.
As the Docs have detailed before, despite Murray advancing well early on and being able to dunk about six months after the surgery, it can often take as much time to get the final 10% of the way back as it does to get from 0 to 90%.
For Murray it remains to be seen how long that final 10% will take. Either way, a high-intensity playoff game is not the ideal environment for him to get back up to speed.
The Kentucky product’s return has been hinted at many times over the course of the season by Nuggets brass, with the latest comment from GM Tim Connelly saying, “We’re going to clear them at some point in the not too distant future and then they have to determine when and if they’re ready.”
Because of where the Nuggets’ season stands – down 2-0 with little signs of slowing down the Warriors three-pronged offensive monster – the likelihood is that Murray will make his return at the beginning of next season.
Denver are 2-point underdogs in its first home game of the playoffs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Nuggets have the worst odds to emerge as the Western Conference champions at +5500.
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