Coach Michael Malone said Jamal Murray is devastated after the Denver Nuggets base was diagnosed with a anterior cruciate ligament sprain of his left knee.
Speaking for the first time since the Nuggets announced they will be indefinitely without their star quarterback base, Malone said the team could see Murray’s anguish over the injury that ended the season.
“It’s been 24, 36 hours full of excitement,” the Nuggets head coach said before the Denver faced the Miami Heat Wednesday night. “Jamal is devastated, understandably. I think the team is a bit too. We understand the importance of Murray. We are a better team when he is healthy … He is almost second in all categories [estadísticas] important in the team behind Nikola [Jokic] “.
Murray suffered the injury with 50.6 seconds remaining in the Nuggets’ 116-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors Monday night. The owner averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field this season.
With title aspirations that were bolstered by the exchange by Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets were surprised Monday night after Murray fell.
“It was very difficult, we stayed for that game in San Francisco,” Malone said. “Just sitting with him on the way to the airport, your heart breaks because you can see the raw emotion he was feeling.”
The Nuggets coach told his team he needs to regroup and understand he still has a chance to compete in the West.
“Some roles will obviously change,” Malone said. “I don’t want anyone to think it has to be Jamal Murray. That’s not the case.”
The Nuggets will have to move on this season and for part of the next one without their star owner. Malone said that, in general, rehabilitation of a torn anterior cruciate ligament can take up to 10 months again.
“We love him, support him and help him get through that path next year,” Malone said. “I have no doubt he will return as a better player, a stronger player. That’s how he did it. It’s in his DNA. I don’t expect more or less.”