Jamal Murray is traveling with the Nuggets on their upcoming road trip, coach Michael Malone told reporters in Denver on Thursday, but it remains unclear exactly when the starting point guard will be back from his hamstring injury.
Denver is embarking on a season-long five-game road stand that will include a pair of in-season tournament games. The Nuggets (9-2) face the Pelicans on Friday in New Orleans. It will be the team’s third game of the tournament’s group stage and second without Murray.
Murray sustained a right hamstring strain Nov. 4 during a home win against the Chicago Bulls. He has missed four full games, three of which the Nuggets won with Reggie Jackson starting at point guard.
“I know from all the reports I’m getting he’s really working hard to get back and making positive strides,” Malone told reporters Thursday. The head coach didn’t rule out the possibility of Murray returning on the road.
The coach hasn’t labeled a specific hopeful return date at any point, but league sources said Murray was expected to miss at least three weeks in the days following the injury. According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski at the time, Murray was expected to miss the remainder of November.
“His injury is not a one- or two-game injury,” Malone said Nov. 6. “That’s what I do know. This will be something that will be longer than we would like. … You have to have the big picture in mind and make sure we’re putting him in position to get healthy before he comes back. Because this is an injury that, if you keep having recurring hamstring injuries or soft tissue injuries, they can linger and become even worse. And that’s the one thing we do not want to happen.”
The point guard, who averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 assists in his first four games this season, went through his pregame shooting routine Tuesday at Ball Arena while the Nuggets were warming up to face the Clippers.
Denver’s road trip will travel through New Orleans, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando and Houston, where the Nuggets conclude group play against the Rockets on Black Friday.
