Nuggets' Jamal Murray won't speculate on when he might return

There has been widespread speculation that Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will be able to return in time for the playoffs, but Murray tells Adam Caparell of Complex Sports that he’s not sure of his own status.

Murray is recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL last April. The rehab process has been more difficult than he anticipated and he’s not trying to meet a set timeline. His only goal is to “feel normal” whenever he does start playing again.

“I’m too far to tell,” Murray responded when asked if he has an approximate date in mind. “I’m obviously progressing every week. But I have my bad weeks where I can’t do the simple stuff and then I’ll have weeks where I feel like I can jump out of the gym. It’s just getting the stress pain down. Adding tolerance right now and trying to ramp it up. I don’t know. I’m in a good spot, I just don’t know the exact time right now.”

Murray was in the middle of his best season when the injury struck, averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game, along with 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He was also shooting career-best marks from the field (47.7%) and three-point range (40.8%) and was coming off a spectacular performance in the 2020 postseason.

If Murray is able to return at anywhere near top form, he could be an X-factor in the Western Conference playoffs, especially if Denver also has Michael Porter Jr., who is working to overcome a back injury. With Nikola Jokic bidding for a second straight MVP award, the Nuggets have managed to stay in the middle of the race at 36-25 without two of their stars.

But Murray is trying not to let that prospect influence his decision as he focuses on what he needs to do to resume playing.

“I’m trending steadily, yeah. It’s different when you’re in it. You can’t really tell,” he said. “You don’t really know how much time has passed. But I know I have a couple of months before the playoffs. I’m just trying to gear up as much as I can, and if not, I’ll just sit out. Taking it slowly, not really thinking about the months ahead, just taking it day by day. Months ahead from now I can say I put in the work.”

After he suffered the injury, Murray reached out to several players who had been through the ACL experience, and he said some called him as well to let him know what to expect. He added that he was encouraged to see Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine, who have both recovered from ACL injuries, earn spots in the All-Star Game this year.

Murray describes the rehab process as “tedious” and said there are mental challenges along with the physical ones.

“It’s not just me sitting out for a year—it’s the work, the continuous work you’re putting in to get back, or to get back to that level,” he said. “And you’re always thinking you’re going into the abyss, you’re going into the unknown and you’re just trying to figure it out as you go. And that’s the toughest part. Not knowing when I’m going to come back. Not knowing how I’m going to feel. Not having the reps. Not having the confidence yet to do what I do. It’s just building all that back up right now and that’s been the toughest part up until this point. Now I’m just blessed to be back on the court doing what I can and it’s about feeling better every day.”