We finally have a date to circle to see Jokic, Murray and MPJ together again

April 12, 2021.

That’s the last time we saw the Nuggets three-headed monster of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. on an NBA court together.

It was, of course, an awful night for Denver. They lost to the Warriors in San Francisco, but that didn’t really matter. Murray tore his ACL and hasn’t played a game for the Nuggets since. He missed all of last season and Porter played just nine games, hampered by a back injury. It’s remarkable Denver won 48 games a year ago, but that speaks to the greatness of the back-to-back MVP Jokic.

The 2021 team could’ve made a deep playoff run, perhaps even to the NBA Finals. They did win a series without Murray, but ran into the buzzsaw that was the Phoenix Suns in the second-round.

Long story short, we’ve been waiting to see this trio together again for a long, long time. Go ahead and circle October 3 on your calendar. The Nuggets regular season schedule dropped earlier this week, but we now have the preseason slate as well.

#Nuggets preseason schedule:

vs. OKC on 10/3
@ Chi on 10/7
vs. PHX on 10/10
@ LAC on 10/12
@ GSW on 10/14

— Mike Singer (@msinger) August 19, 2022

Ball Arena will be half full at best that night against the Thunder, but it could be a big evening for the Nuggets. Is it a guarantee Jokic, Murray and Porter all play? Of course not, but there would be something symbolic about seeing all of them out there together. And you have to think head coach Michael Malone realizes that.

Even if they all skip multiple games in the preseason, that’s a logical one for them to play in. It will come and go with little fanfare, but if all three guys do suit up, remember that night in June 2023 when the Nuggets are hopefully pursuing their first NBA Championship.

***