Jamal Murray had a revealing message about Nuggets’ mindset without Nikola Jokic

In the almost two full regular seasons since the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA championship in franchise history, there's been a simmering conversation about the non-Nikola Jokic players on the roster.

Are they good enough to pull their own weight without the three-time NBA MVP? Can they still succeed and play quality basketball if the all-time great isn't making everything easy for them? The answer for most teams without their top superstar who does so much heavy lifting would probably be a resounding "no."

Newsflash: it's hard to win without your best player. In other news, water is wet and grass is green.

But as Jokic rests and recovers from left ankle nerve impingement (he is set to miss five consecutive games at the time of this writing), there's been a question of pride for the other Nuggets. They still have great core players like Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. on the roster. They still expect to be an NBA title contender this spring. Even if they're built around Jokic's exemplary generational talent, everything shouldn't fall into complete discord the moment he's off the court. And yet, when Jokic is out or resting on the bench during game action, the Nuggets often fall apart.

After the Nuggets pulled off a stellar 116-111 win on the road over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Murray (39 points, seven assists, four rebounds) made it apparent he's aware of this non-Jokic conversation in Denver. In a game (without Jokic) where the Nuggets looked like a coherent basketball team against the Western Conference's current No. 2 playoff seed, they proved something. But not to anyone from the outside looking in.

As Murray said, the Nuggets proved something to themselves. They are not all Jokic. They actually don't need him to do everything to shine. That means a lot:

Let's make one thing clear, and it's obvious. The Nuggets aren't going anywhere this coming postseason without a healthy Jokic. That's the primary reason they're being cautious and proactive by giving him extended rest to recuperate right now from the tremendous toll the 2024-2025 season has taken on his body.

But even when Jokic returns, the other Nuggets will have to help him pull the rope if Denver wants a deep playoff run, let alone win a title. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Full stop. After a week where they won without Jokic in Golden State and Houston, the non-Jokic Nuggets have shown they're much more capable than many believe in that regard. Especially themselves. That much is clear.

Now, for Murray and friends, it's about sustaining this high level of effort and play for when their big Serbian talisman comes back to the lineup. For once, maybe that prospect actually is a lot easier done than said.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jamal Murray had telling message about non-Nikola Jokic Nuggets after beating Rockets