Denver has ensured their superstar’s pick-and-roll partner stays close with a whopping four-year $208 million contract. Yup, the Robin to Batman, Jamal Murray will be part of the Nuggets squad for the foreseeable future. While it looks picture-perfect on paper, just how well can it work out? Of course, we know that Nikola Jokic delivers, but what about our resident Canadian?

What seems to be the issue, you ask? Well, two things. There are two factors pertaining to Murray that have a certain NBA insider wonder along the lines we mentioned above. Joining NBA Today, Chiney Ogwumike posed whether retaining Denver’s star guard has effectively turned them into a feared squad in the league.

Dave McMenamin, to whom the question was directed, had a very simple explanation. And it was not in favor of Murray. “What we know is that his body fails him,”  the ESPN analyst pointed out. The 27-year-old appeared in just 59 games last season, battling various injuries throughout the season. And while the postseason saw him appear in all 12 of Denver‘s games, there were obvious discomforts.

For example, Game 4 against the Lakers saw Murray grabbing at his leg towards the end. Although he pushed through the pain, his status was soon tagged as questionable with a calf strain. Not to mention, his shooting had fallen below his usual stats (averaging just 29.4% from the three against Los Angeles). In 12 games, Murray averaged 40.2% from the field and 31.5 % from downtown.

This is coming from a 6’4 guard who is shooting a career (playoffs) 45.9% from the field and 38.9% from beyond the arc. Needless to say, it hurt the team to have their second-best player shoot poorly. Add the fact that they already relied heavily on their starters to take the game forward.  And on that note, we come to the second flaw – his form.

“There’s only been brief moments where he’s been able to show how great he can be … Guess what? Not a great second round and even worse summer if we’re talking about the Olympics. You average six points for Canada, shooting 29%. Canada went into the Olympics, considered one of the favorites to win a medal, they come back without a medal,” McMenamin detailed.

While Dave made it clear that the ex-Kentucky product posed no threat to the league, he did have someone else in mind.

Nikola Jokic, not Jamal Murray, makes the league think twice about going head-to-head against the Nuggets

“They’re afraid of Nikola Jokic,” McMenamin stated. Of course, at first look, it’s hard to find what exactly is there in the Serbian to be wary of. But everyone acquainted with ‘The Joker’ knows it firsthand to not mistake his floppy, horse-loving self for incompetence. In fact, it’s the opposite.

And Dave had the perfect illustration. Representing his country in the Paris Olympics, Jokic practically made Team USA face their worst fears. From their first group play to the semi-finals against USA-B, it was a Nikola Jokic masterclass. Serbia’s matchup vs South Sudan and Australia was simply spectacular and numbers really don’t do Jokic justice!

But since we are focusing on the USA, let’s get back. As you all remember, it was Stephen Curry’s insane comeback that helped Team USA from going down in what would have been the most humiliating failures in history. And it was the 3x MVP who turned the semi-finals into a close matchup.

So, yes, McMenamin does have a point. But this upcoming season’s teams are no joke. So, just how well the 2023 champs can hold their ground is very much up for debate.