Unpredictable Denver, Murray has to do well anyway
Unpredictable Denver, Murray has to do well anyway
Blog Article
The Denver Nuggets are one of the teams that cannot predict their performance in the next season. The fact that Nikola Jokic (29, 211 cm), the best player of the current era, is holding out makes it worthwhile to play with any other team, but the team's overall strength is quite disappointing. Up until recently when Korea won the losing season final, the Denver era seemed to be in full swing.
At least he could. However, he was eliminated in the second round of the Western Conference, and his second consecutive win went up in smoke. Of course, the result came out that way, but Denver showed its own potential as a defending champion. The opponent was the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the favorites, and unfortunately suffered a humiliating loss after a neck-and-neck race that continued through Game 7. He also came in second in the West, where he lost first place due to a short gap in the regular season. Analysts say that as long as Jokic remains strong, he will be able to continue his position.
The problem is that the power continues to go down, let alone upgrade. While competitors are aggressively strengthening their power, Denver is not even maintaining its existing power. Key players, including Bruce Brown (28, 193 centimeters) and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (31, 196 centimeters), have left every offseason. To make matters worse, rookie Daron Holmes II (22, 205 centimeters) was ruled out for the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Although Russell Westbrook (35, 191 centimeters) joined the team, chances are not high that his performance will improve significantly. Westbrook himself has passed his prime and is not a good player in team play. Given the style of play he has displayed so far, it seems difficult for the team to integrate into the Denver system. The coaching staff must be aware of this. However, the team seems to be satisfied even if Jokic's unique drumming and playing time guarantees are provided. As such, Jokic has a heavy load on his shoulders.
Denver, which has a thin base of players, needs to focus on the playoffs rather than overstretch itself during the regular season. If Jokichi can play healthy, he can play against any team. As such, his power is beyond imagination. As revealed last season, however, there is a limit to Jokichi's exclusive basketball. If a team with many good players like Minnesota comes forward with human rights tactics, there is no way that they can stop him from playing again.
In the end, two strong options are needed besides Jokic, and the existing player has to play this role. The best scenario is that Jamal Murray (27, 193 centimeters) regains his destructive power. When winning the Denver championship, Murray showed off his formidable presence. He averaged 21.4 points and 10 assists in the five final games, but had it not been for Jokic, who recorded a monstrous record, he could have become the final MVP.
The problem is ups and downs. If Murray can consistently guarantee the same performance, the Denver one-two punch would not be envious of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant during the Lakers' heyday. Unfortunately, Murray is far from stable performance. He has not displayed anything well during the regular season. It is hard to say that he is above average compared to the main players of competitors who are capable of aiming for the playoffs.
When he does well, he puts on a showdown against star-studded guards, but on the contrary, his presence in the game often disappears. The ups and downs are too severe and the durability is not good. The part that is highly evaluated is that he is stronger in big games such as playoffs than in the regular season, but even that has not been properly verified. 스포츠토토
In the first round of the Western Conference against the Lakers last season, he played his part despite his poor calf condition. He averaged 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 40 percent field goal rate, 29.4 percent success rate of 3-point shots, and 85.7 percent success rate of free throws, which fell somewhat short of expectations as playoff mode Murray, but showed off his killer instinct by scoring winning shots at important moments.
In addition, he had a finishing buzzer-beater in the second round and scored the finishing goal in the fifth round. However, he did not even show such performance in the second round against Minnesota. When the game didn't go as planned, he became a villain who downplayed the team's mood by throwing away hot packs and making inappropriate remarks.
However, Denver has no other option. Next season, we have to trust Murray with two options as well. With the power not being strengthened properly, Murray is still the only card that can disperse the focus on Jokic. There is no choice anyway. Denver signed a four-year, $208 million extension with Murray on the 8th. It is a deal worth the maximum. Whether you like it or not, you have to trust Murray, who is a high-paid player. Denver fans want Murray to be a constant, not a variable.