Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have been the backbone of the Nuggets’ success, but things have been rocky in Denver lately, with the guard struggling to find his form. After 14 games of underwhelming performances, Jokic finally spoke out about his on-court partner following a disappointing showing against the Mavericks, which ended in a narrow 120-123 loss.

When a reporter asked Jokic in the post-game press conference, what the Nuggets were expecting from Murray, the Serbian responded, “If he scored a little bit on the consistent, yes, that will help us.” Consistency—that’s where the 6-foot-4 guard is struggling. Jokic quickly highlighted the positive aspects by saying, “he played good” and “shared the ball” but scoring has been a major issue with the Canadian this season, which he is yet to overcome.

Jokic further added, “I think he was taking good shots. So, you know, I think, like, 75% of them were open. So if I mean, he gotta take it, so it’s not something that he is forcing.” He also acknowledged that it’s natural for some shots to miss. Murray did miss several shots against the Mavs, finishing with a lackluster 14-5-11 performance. He recorded 4-of-16 from the field and 4-of-11 from behind the arc, which is by far one of his worst shooting displays. However, Jokic remained optimistic and concluded by saying, “We would like him to if he can score a little bit more, so he’s gonna help us.”

Not only Jokic, but head coach Michael Malone too took a pledge to get Murray back to old form. Following Friday night’s game, the 53-year-old said in the presser, “We got to find a way. I have to find a way to help to get Jamal going.” He took it upon himself to get his ace all geared up for the next games.

Though there’s still a long way to go for the season to end, so far Murray’s shooting averages (39.7% from the field and 33.8% from the deep) have been the lowest since his first season with Denver as a rookie. He’s well aware that he is in deep water and has taken ownership of it.

“Take full accountability” – Jamal Murray reflects on the impact of his struggles and vows to improve

After the performances delivered by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray during their championship run, the expectations from the duo have automatically risen. With Murray struggling on the court, the pressure has shifted entirely to the 3-time MVP’s shoulders. However, Murray has recognized that his team’s defeats are partly due to his own struggles and committed to making the necessary improvements to help the Nuggets.

“I take full accountability,” Murray told The Athletic after his powerful 27-point performance against the Grizzlies. He claimed, “It’s not easy when you aren’t playing well. It hasn’t been easy with guys like Nikola (Jokic) and Aaron (Gordon) out. We were fully capable of winning these last games. But, for me, I have to play better. I have to take account for that. It starts with me.”

He opened up about the difficulties without Jokic on the court for the last three games, as Jokic just had a second child. However, he also emphasized that it is during times like these that he needs to step up and take responsibility for leading the team.

The Nuggets have won 8 out of 14 games but if Murray gives his best and Jokic maintains his consistency then, they could still finish at the top of the Western Conference table by the end of the season.