NBA star’s bold title warning as ‘exciting’ Denver Nuggets trio set to finally reunite

The Denver Nuggets have NBA’s best player and the return of two injured stars has them poised to make a run for the championship.

Jamal Murray believes the Nuggets can challenge for the NBA title (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

The next NBA season gets underway in just a couple of months and Denver’s Jamal Murray believes the Nuggets can seriously challenge for the championship if they stay injury-free.

Murray was in career-best form during Denver’s 2021 playoff run before he ruptured his ACL in his left knee.

The 25-year-old had been forming a lethal combination with Michael Porter Jr and centre Nikola Jokic before he got injured and Porter Jr underwent back surgery and missed almost all of last season.

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The star trio haven’t played an NBA game together since April last year but with Murray and Porter Jr on the sidelines, Jokic has gone on an absolute tear — claiming back-to-back MVPs in the past two seasons and dragging the Nuggets to respectable win-loss records.

If they can all get on the court together, a Nuggets squad of Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr, along with a strong support cast in Aaron Gordon and new recruits Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, shapes as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.

With Jokic in the prime of his career, Murray is conscious of the need of himself and Porter Jr to make up for lost time and make the most of the Serbian big man’s sensational form.

Jamal Murray is coming back from a serious knee injury. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

A bolstered Nuggets team around Nikola Jokic (right) could do serious damage. Photo: Steve Dykes/Getty Images/AFP

If the Nuggets stay healthy, he believes they can challenge the likes of the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference and even be a smokey for the NBA title.

“We’re just trying to win a championship, that’s where everybody’s mind is at with us,” Murray told news.com.au at the launch of the pop up “NBA Gallery” on Sydney’s Eddy Avenue, which features several artworks honouring Australians who have played in the NBA.

Despite not having played with Jokic and Porter Jr for nearly 18 months, the guard said they will have no trouble rediscovering their spark on-court.

“We do gel together,” he said.

“We don’t have to prove anything. We do gel together and we’ve shown that so it’s just a matter of staying healthy and being able to do that all season. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve seen it in glimpses but not entire seasons.

“It’s going to be exciting just to have us all back on the court together at one time and get to build that chemistry back up like it used to be.”

Murray at the launch of the pop up NBA Gallery in Sydney. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Murray, who has looked sharp training on court during his visit to Australia, expects his court time to be managed at the start of the season but is “very confident” his knee will hold up.

“I feel good,” he said.

“Just getting stronger rehabbing throughout the summer and just trying to prepare for the season. Yeah, feeling good.

“I mean it’s not going to be 40 minutes to start, but I expect myself to be back at full power at some point during the season.”

Asked if he believes he can regain the form he showed in the Orlando “bubble” in 2021, Murray said: “Yeah I have no doubt.

“It’s still me. I can still shoot, I can still jump, I can still play. So I don’t see why not.”