Monday, Sept. 25 marked the return of the Denver Nuggets for their annual Media Day, the unofficial first day of the 2017-18 NBA season. What a year it’s anticipated to be as there has been a buzz around Denver about this Nuggets squad this whole offseason. The three-plus hour event at Pepsi Center brought the entire team together for a day full of photo shoots, interviews, a press conference and a bunch of fun on social media.
With the season quickly approaching, it was easy to tell that it was media day as players were in top-notch cliché mode. Most of them are now in “the best shape of their lives” as they’ve added muscle, slimmed down and improved their jump-shots in ways we can only imagine – as almost all of them stated – and this will supposedly be everyone’s best year.
Even though media day is full of clichéd answers and set-up questions, there are things that can emerge from it if you pay attention. Here are three things that stood out for me:
Now injury-free, Jamal Murray could have a breakout season
Last year – though he was only a rookie – Jamal Murray had moments where he looked like a veteran star in this league. The rookie sensation averaged 9.9 points and 2.1 assists (while only playing 21.9 minutes per game) and shot 33.4 percent from 3-point range. There were some big moments from Murray that stood out to me last season. For example when he caught fire and topped his regular season scoring high in the Rising Stars Challenge with 36 points to give Team World a 150-141 win over Team USA during All-Star Weekend. Another moment that made an impression was Murray’s career-high 30 points in a game that kept the Nuggets postseason hopes alive with a late-April win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
You can see from those moments what the Nuggets organization loved about the Kentucky Wildcat and why they chose him with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
In a surprise that was revealed at the end of the season, Murray was playing injured. Not only was he struggling with an ankle injury but, in exit interviews, Murray admitted he would in fact need surgery for “a couple of injuries.” It was later revealed by Nuggets President Tim Connelly that he played the entire season through a double sports hernia. How bad was the pain? Murray said it was “hard for me to get out of bed most days. But it comes down to how much you want to play, how much you want to win.” Murray then added: “It affected me. I just had to play through it, and that’s just a part of my mental toughness. I played through a lot, so I don’t pay too much attention to the pain. I just keep playing.”
With surgery out of the way Murray was feeling as if he’s finally back to 100 percent. This will be something to watch as Coach Malone said he’ll have a fair opportunity to start at point guard this upcoming year. For Nuggets fans, they will get to see a fully healthy Jamal Murray for the very first time.
Paul Millsap was a Nuggets fan growing up
Many were surprised when they found out there were previous ties to Colorado for Paul Millsap. The four-time All-Star lived in Denver as a child. He lived here for 11 years and in those 11 years he said he was only able to go to a Nuggets game once. When asked about who his favorite Nugget was, or one he admired most, he said Antonio McDyess.
“I remember going home after that game and saying how amazing McDyess was,” Millsap said, adding,“ I was always a fan of the Denver Nuggets and how they played and the type of players they have.”
He also stated that he was a big fan of LaPhonso Ellis (Nuggets editor Jeff Morton approves of this statement) and that the Phonz-era Nuggets team captured his attention as a kid. Millsap seems to be ready to go, and looking forward to playing for a team he loved growing up.
Wilson Chandler is giving back
Wilson Chandler has a deep love of rap and talked about the music he listened to as he traveled this offseason. He said he still bumps the Jay Z album and mentioned rap artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Lil Uzi Vert and also underground artists such as Action Bronson. You will often find Chandler referencing rap lyrics on his Twitter feed.
Chandler also spoke about that his interest in meditating, something he is starting on a serious level. Yet, amidst all the talk of traveling, diet and rap, Chandler’s biggest interest at the moment is with giving back. He indicated that he will be working alongside an educational outfit called EVERFI, a company that enhances communities and education programs at no cost to schools by partnering with organizations big and small. Chandler believes it will be beneficial to those students in local elementary, middle and high schools in his neighborhood. He partnered with the company earlier in the summer and thinks it’ll get started in a couple of weeks. The focus will be on African-American history as well as finances.
Featured Image Credit: Aniello Piro, Twitter
