Michael Malone has great answer to critics doubting Jamal Murray

Michael Malone has great answer to critics doubting Jamal Murray

There’s no question that Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has struggled to begin the 2024-25 season, two years after being the Robin to Nikola Jokic’s Batman en route to their first-ever title.

Murray has notoriously been a slow starter, but this season was particularly slow for the 6-foot-4 guard. Through his first 17 games, he was averaging 17.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals on just 42.0 percent shooting, including 33.3 percent from deep on 5.8 3-point attempts per game. His recent spark suggests he’s getting back to form, however.

Over his last seven–it’s a small sample, so take it for what it’s worth–he’s averaging 24.7 points on 48.1/44.2/90.3 shooting splits, scoring at least 24 points in five points after doing so just thrice over his first 17.

Head coach Michael Malone had a hilarious, candid response to any Murray doubters amid his early-season struggles.

“The guy cares. He wants to play better. He wants to help this team,” he said, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “His heart’s in the right place. And supporting him will go a long way. And that’s why I tell guys, ‘Don’t look at the damn phone.’ I don’t give a damn what you guys say about me. And he shouldn’t either.”

Malone isn’t one to mince words. He’ll say exactly how he feels and he’s not going to beat around the bush. Just look at his response to Mike Brown‘s firing. He also seems like an individual who eat, sleeps and breathes basketball and nothing else. His dad was a coach, so that would make sense, if true.

Nowadays, with how prominent social media is in society, it’s difficult for some to not see anything. You could guess that plenty of players look up their own highlights on Youtube; it would be difficult to believe that they wouldn’t with their own name on whatever social media platform, too.

Perhaps I could be misguided because I’m not a professional athlete–nor have I ever been close to being one. Jamal Murray, a mild-mannered yet fiery competitor, is. He may not care what others think–at least he appears not to care.

““I know what I’m capable of. I know what I do,” he said, according to Durando. “There’s a reason why I’m here, and there’s a reason why I’ve been able to win with this team and be here for years and be able to develop chemistry and all that. So I just let people talk. That’s what they do best.”

Do The Denver Nuggets Have A Jamal Murray Problem?

Denver needs any sort of shot creation they can get from players not named Jokic and Murray. The closer that the Feb. 6 deadline comes, the closer the Nuggets could be to finding their answer to help them out. But that’s not guaranteed–at least this year anyway. They will need Murray’s best if they want to compete for another title, which will be far easier than done in today’s climate.

***

Click Here for more NBA Content

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests