DENVER (AP) 鈥� Jamal Murray spotted his two-time reigning MVP teammate in the open and quickly hollered out to him.
"Grab me a grape,鈥� the Denver Nuggets point guard said with Nikola Jokic breaking toward a fruit tray Monday at media day.
With that, Jokic dished out his first assist of the season.
Jokic will have his supporting cast back and healthy this season, with Murray feeling 鈥渘ight and day鈥� better after missing all last year as he recovered from an ACL injury. Michael Porter Jr., too, after being limited to just nine games a year ago due to a balky back.
With the trade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the signing of Bruce Brown, along with the growth of high-energy guard Bones Hyland, the Nuggets have high aspirations this season 鈥� even if they shy away from voicing it out loud.
鈥淲e know what we want to do,鈥� said Brown, whose team begins training camp Tuesday in San Diego. 鈥淪o it doesn鈥檛 need to be said.鈥�
It all starts in the middle with Jokic, who signed a . He's trying to join the company of Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as players who won the MVP trophy three straight seasons.
One area the Nuggets want to see him raise to another level 鈥� his vocal game.
鈥淓verybody is waiting for him to say something,鈥� Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. 鈥淎nd when he does it has a profound impact.鈥�
The quiet leader wants to be the 鈥淭im Duncan of the Denver Nuggets,鈥� Jokic said. 鈥淏ut I need win a couple of championships to be him.鈥�
He's got the crew around him to make a run.
Shortly after acquiring Aaron Gordon in March 2021, the Nuggets showed flashes of what they could do with a lineup consisting of Gordon, Murray, Porter and Jokic. They went 4-1 before Murray tore his ACL at Golden State. Last season, they lost Porter after the outside threat .
鈥淚鈥檓 looking to build a chemistry with that,鈥� said Gordon, whose team lost to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the first round last season. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be nice to figure out ... the flow of the game and who gets what, where and when, the how and why 鈥� we've still got to put all those questions together. It鈥檚 going be fun.鈥�
Especially with Murray looking more like his old self.
"He鈥檚 got that confidence back. He鈥檚 got that swagger back,鈥� Malone said. 鈥淪eeing him in our gym, playing with that confidence and chirping, has been fun to watch.鈥�
Murray's not putting expectations on his return. The Nuggets have missed the playoff version of Murray, who had two 50-point bursts in 2020 when the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals.
鈥淚鈥檝e been taking one day at a time and everybody鈥檚 always asking me what鈥檚 it going to look like two months from now. I don鈥檛 know,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淚鈥檓 on the right road.鈥�
Same with Porter.
鈥淚njuries, it just takes time, I would say, to have joy in the game again, no soreness or anything,鈥� Porter said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be on the other side of it. I鈥檓 here now and I don鈥檛 have any limitations. I鈥檓 excited."
In July, the Nuggets picked up Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith from Washington for Monte Morris and Will Barton. Caldwell-Pope is looking forward to working with Jokic, who is known for his no-look passes.
鈥淪o I will keep my eyes on him at all times,鈥� Caldwell-Pope cracked.
TEAM CAMARADERIE
To develop team chemistry, Jeff Green hosted an offseason camp in Miami for the younger players. In addition, Gordon had teammates over to his place for hoops and then some paintball.
"Both returning and new players and veterans understand the importance and the opportunity that we have,鈥� Malone said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to waste that opportunity.鈥�
HONORING RUSSELL
Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan will wear No. 6 to honor the late Russell. It's a number that has been retired by the NBA, but permitted to do so.
鈥淏ill Russell was a great pioneer for not only the game of basketball but for off-the-floor things as well,鈥� Jordan said.
TOP SHOOTER?
Jack White, a 6-foot-7 forward from Australia, has been winning 3-point shooting contests in practice over the summer.
The top shooter on the team?
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 stepped into that yet,鈥� Caldwell-Pope said of the contests. 鈥淔or now he is.... I鈥檓 looking forward to competing 鈥� and taking the top spots.鈥�
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press
