MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Even without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray insisted, the team Denver brought on the road this week was a good one. Good enough that it should have won Friday night in New Orleans, at least.

With an opportunity to prove his point in a second consecutive game without the MVP center, the Nuggets fell behind by as many as 24 in a 105-90 loss to the Grizzlies.

Murray and Michael Porter Jr. combined for 23 points on a 10-for-27 day from the field while Julian Strawther was the team’s only double-digit scorer until the fourth quarter. Murray turned it over six times as Denver (7-5) lost the first of two games in Memphis. The rematch on Tuesday will feature a different court to indicate group-stage implications in the NBA Cup.

The Grizzlies weren’t playing with a fully in-tact roster, either. Ja Morant was missing his sixth game of the season due to injury. Without the star guard, their next-best options stepped up enough to blow out Denver. Jaren Jackson Jr. went for 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Desmond Bane delivered a flurry of late buckets to keep Denver at a distance after the gap was briefly closed to 11.

Murray’s argument in the Nuggets’ defense on Friday was predicated on their execution of the offense up until it was time to knock down a shot. He had a point. They had generated high-quality looks in defeat, largely out of Murray’s play-making against ball-screen blitzes.

Shot-making continued to be a problem on Sunday, but the half-court offense seemed to lack sharpness as well. Denver leaned heavily on transition opportunities in the first half to avoid that, outscoring the Grizzlies by nine on fast breaks and by eight in the paint — highlighted by some mature finishes and passes by Peyton Watson. But that still couldn’t even get the Nuggets within single digits at the break, and Memphis quickly caught up in transition points after halftime to open up a 20-point advantage.

Michael Malone, back after missing the game Friday to see his daughter’s senior-year state volleyball tournament, had no update on Jokic’s status going forward. He said he will “continue to check in with him; make sure he and his wife are OK. But no news there.”

Malone stuck with the same starting five that lead assistant David Adelman played in New Orleans, with Dario Saric at center despite having been previously out of the rotation. Saric was Denver’s second scorer to double figures in Memphis, finishing the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

When it was time to make substitutions, though, Malone made a change. His first player off the bench was DeAndre Jordan, who had barely played this season. The Nuggets were out-rebounded by 13 against the Pelicans, a problem that was especially prevalent when Zeke Nnaji was at the backup five. Memphis entered Sunday’s game leading the league in rebounding rate, aided by enormous rookie Zach Edey coming off the bench.

The glass wasn’t a problem this time. Even in a bad overall game, Murray showed solid effort there, grabbing six boards to accompany his seven assists and three steals. Watson, Strawther and Christian Braun each grabbed four or more rebounds.

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After a perfect five-game homestand, the Nuggets were rewarded by the NBA schedule gods this week with a rare stretch of four days off between games.

Their turnaround from an 0-2 start has been among the most surprising developments across the league so far this season, depending on whom you ask. Skepticism surrounding Denver’s 2024-25 roster dates back to well before opening day.

Here are five other storylines that have taken me by surprise after three weeks of basketball.

1. Tired: Cavs > Bucks. Wired: Nets > Bucks?

Milwaukee took plenty of flak this summer for getting eliminated in the first round of back-to-back seasons during Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime. I could not bring myself to worry about its status as a contender. Antetokounmpo was dealing with bad-timing injuries both years, I thought. The starting lineup still managed a resoundingly impressive net rating last season amid coaching strife and instability. The Gary Trent Jr. acquisition felt like a potential diamond in the rough. The Bucks were going to be fine.

They lost eight of their first 10 games.

This start has been a true shock. Giannis is still Giannis. In fact, he leads the league in scoring. Damian Lillard is averaging 26 points and seven assists. But the Bucks can’t guard, Khris Middleton is stuck in injury purgatory, Trent has been benched, and the state of the franchise seems worse off than when Adrian Griffin got fired a year ago.

It’s one thing to see other upper-tier Eastern Conference teams such as Cleveland passing them by, even if 13-0 is a little surprising. But Brooklyn? I had the Nets pegged as Cooper Flagg frontrunners. Maybe, with time, they will be, but kudos to former Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez. Not only did he begin his tenure 5-6; he has fallen just short of major upsets against Cleveland, Boston and Denver.

I would mention Brooklyn’s win over Milwaukee, too, but apparently, that’s not all that impressive anymore.

2. Jay Huff Mania

On a two-way contract with the Nuggets last season, Huff appeared in 20 NBA games for 49 total minutes, spending most of his time with the Grand Rapids Gold. And Denver wasn’t the only team he passed through anonymously. The 27-year-old center has had a cup of coffee with the Lakers and Wizards. He has played Summer League ball for the Rockets and Magic.

He’s suddenly finding stardom in Memphis.

Huff averaged 10 points and 1.8 blocks off the bench in his first 12 games for the Grizzlies, a meteoric rise that landed him a standard NBA contract. The former G League Defensive Player of the Year is shooting the 3-pointer at a 44% clip. On a team that faced uncertainty in its center rotation and reached for Zach Edey at ninth overall in the draft, Huff has turned into one of the NBA’s feel-good stories of the year in just 15 minutes a night.

3. The West is HOW much better than the East?

This might not be a surprise to most people, but I’m not afraid to admit it: I had a hunch the usual expected talent discrepancy between the Western and Eastern conferences might turn out to be overblown this season. I figured, at minimum, the East would look equally top-heavy — that Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Cleveland would rival the five best teams in the West.

But entering the first slate of NBA Cup games on Tuesday night, the league standings were stunning: 10 teams above .500 in the West. Two teams above .500 in the East. At that snapshot in the season, the third-place Pacers would not even be a play-in team out West.

Most glaringly, the head-to-head record in games between conferences remains dramatically skewed. The West: 35. The East: 15.

This could balance out, especially as injuries start to take hold of the season. Star players including Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson (along with the rest of the Pelicans’ roster) are all facing prolonged absences in the superior conference. Then again, Joel Embiid, Paul George and the 76ers might get investigated another 10 times this season for possible Player Participation Policy violations.

4. MVP stock: AD up, Luka down

It should probably come as no surprise that three-time MVP Nikola Jokic looks like a pretty clear favorite to win the award again after three weeks. But the unexpected wrinkle so far is his stiffest competition. Fresh off an NBA Finals run, Luka Doncic had the most momentum coming into the season, but the numbers haven’t been up to standard for him so far.

After the Mavericks lost Klay Thompson’s reunion game in the Bay, Doncic was averaging 28.5 points (his lowest in three seasons), 8.1 rebounds (lowest in four seasons) and 7.9 assists (lowest in six seasons) for a below-.500 team. His efficiency has been the worst part: a career-low 41.9% from the field and a 32% start from three. The Mavs keep losing close games in the moments when Doncic is supposed to elevate them. In Denver last weekend, he was overshadowed by Kyrie Irving. Then again, everyone except Jokic was.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Anthony Davis is in play for the scoring title at 30.2 points per game. The Lakers are playing through him offensively, as new coach JJ Redick promised. I see no reason that’s going to stop. The team ranks fifth in offensive rating. (His teammates just need to rise to his level defensively now.) Davis hasn’t had a season like this since New Orleans. He hasn’t had a season like this ever, really. If he stays healthy, he’s no fluke as an MVP candidate.

5. NBA Cup Madness

This goofy excuse to play basketball on obnoxiously colorful courts is starting to look like the NBA’s low-stakes version of the NCAA Tournament. Underdogs truly seem to relish the opportunity to pull off upsets and play for a prize before the monotony of a draft lottery-bound season sets in.

On the first night alone, the Hawks stunned the Celtics in Boston on a late bucket, the Trail Blazers caught the Timberwolves sleeping, and the Pistons knocked off the Heat in one of the more memorable endings you’ll ever see. (Speaking of March Madness lore: Erik Spoelstra, meet Chris Webber.) I’m starting to think results like these will be the norm in future editions of the tournament. Genuinely fun stuff.

One development that’s not all that surprising: Minnesota’s starting lineup is struggling to acclimate to Julius Randle after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The new-look unit has a minus-three net rating while KAT thrives in New York.

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Scoring, soaring and passing drive interest in basketball — not sitting, sulking and pampering.

The NBA has a problem because of the way it is packaged and covered. Nikola Jokic is off to the greatest statistical start in league history — 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 11.7 assists in 38 minutes per game — and ratings stink.

They cratered during the opening night doubleheader and remain in decline with ESPN viewership down 27% and TNT 16%, per Puck News.

There is a confluence of contributing factors. It starts with the most talked-about players the first two weeks: Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and the Lakers’ Bronny James. The pair combined for 17 points in 39 minutes. Embiid has played one game, his debut delayed by a balky knee and a two-game suspension for pushing a columnist in the locker room.

Embiid has been in a sour mood for months, likely because of his aching body, plus criticism of his gold-medal-chasing Olympic team selection and desire to no longer play both ends of back-to-backs.

Once the smirking face of the NBA, his act has grown tired and sad. But at least he is worthy of headlines when he participates. The amount of bandwidth used on Bronny is misplaced at best and disingenuous at worst. He is the league’s Kim Kardashian — famous for being famous. Bronny seems like a good kid, a hard worker with doses of humility. But he’s not an NBA player. The Lakers rightly sent him to their G League South Bay Lakers for seasoning. Except for one problem: He is only playing home games.

It was cool when he and his father, LeBron, made history by appearing in a game together. But they are not the Griffeys. It feels so contrived and forced. And now this: The Lakers are allowing Bronny — or more likely his advisers — to turn a G League schedule into his personal day planner. It is cringey and runs counter to his development.

The NBA should be flooding Jokic’s start into our inboxes, blasting it on promo commercials, while knocking us over the head about the storylines developing in Cleveland and Golden State. Instead, too much of the focus is directed elsewhere.

Coach Prime on the Line: CU football coach Deion Sanders said Wednesday on FS1 that he would intervene in the draft process with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter if the wrong team wanted to draft them. Deion explained he would do it “privately.” The idea of moving the puzzle pieces for Shedeur is not novel. Apparently, it happens every 21 years. Jack Elway did it for John in 1983, and Archie Manning for Eli in 2004. But no one has ever tried to maneuver the draft in favor of a wide receiver/cornerback, making help with Hunter more fascinating and worth watching.

Just a JAG: The idea of Trevor Lawrence as a coach killer seemed laughable when he was touted as one of the greatest draft prospects since Andrew Luck. But he is bottoming out in Jacksonville because of injuries and ineffectiveness, making it likely Doug Pederson will be fired. Lawrence, who received a five-year contract extension with $200 million guaranteed before the season, owns a 2-12 record with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over his last 14 starts.

Mail Time

Terrific analysis of the tough (Chiefs) loss and how it could (and very well may) serve as the refiner’s fire that molds this good (Broncos) team into something special. A detour didn’t prevent the Lions’ epic comeback over adversity against the Texans.

James Vogelzang, email

We all agree the Broncos should have beaten the Chiefs. Instead, Kansas City held a block party, inviting all their smirking neighbors. The Broncos were outcoached on special teams. So, as much as this Sunday is about the players returning to the proper headspace, it is also on Sean Payton to win on the sidelines. He believes in this group way more than he did a year ago. They can reward his faith with energy, attitude and execution, and he can do his part by slaying another NFC South opponent with his institutional knowledge.

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NEW ORLEANS — No Nikola Jokic? No Zion Williamson? No … anybody? Yeah, this was probably one Michael Malone could afford to miss.

On the precipice of tying the all-time wins record for a Nuggets head coach, Malone stayed in Denver to watch his daughter Bridget’s high school volleyball team compete in the state tournament Friday night. A senior outside hitter at Mountain Vista High School, she’s committed to continue her career in college at North Carolina.

Lead assistant coach David Adelman took on head coaching duties for the Nuggets in New Orleans, where the court was painted blue for their first NBA Cup game.

“I hope he’s watching his daughter play,” Adelman said of Malone. “That’s really cool, and from being a coach’s son and growing up around this, and the things you miss as a dad, really cool that he’s there. That’s something you don’t want to miss. It’s one game. Whatever. That’s really important to her. It’s really important to their family. So I’m glad he’s there.”

Malone is one win away from tying Doug Moe’s franchise record of 432 regular-season wins. After playing the Pelicans, Denver will continue its road trip with a pair of games in Memphis, starting Sunday.

Back in Denver, the state tournament ends with both the semifinals and championship game on Saturday at Denver Coliseum.

“They’re the No. 3 seed, and we’ll see what happens,” Malone said after Thursday’s practice. “But my daughters have been to state, now it would be six years in a row. And as a parent I always love going there. It’s a great environment. And just to be a dad. To support them and watch them with a tremendous amount of pride.”

Malone considers Adelman an NBA head coach in waiting. In the last cycle of coaching changes around the league, Adelman interviewed for openings with the Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told The Denver Post. When asked what the most difficult aspect is of filling Malone’s shoes for a day, Adelman said: “Nikola’s not here.”

Jokic also didn’t travel with the team and was ruled out Friday due to personal reasons. Yet still, the Pelicans were the more depleted team at Smoothie King Center. They were missing Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado.

“I do think what they’re going through right now, we can’t think about that,” Adelman said. “We have to find a way to win a basketball game, whatever that takes. And I feel for Coach (Willie) Green and their staff, but like I said, we kind of have to think about ourselves.”

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The Nuggets just can’t quit the “5280” theme.

NBA teams unveiled their new “city edition” uniforms for the 2024-25 season Thursday, and the Nuggets are using theirs for the consecutive year as a tribute to Denver’s elevation above sea level.

The number “5280” will remain the centerpiece logo on the chest, placed directly above each player’s jersey number. But this time, the uniform is white instead of black, with the shape of a mountain range formed by zig-zag lines inside of the digits. There will also be rainbow-colored zig-zag lines along the side of the jersey.

These features are to “pay homage to the Nuggets’ unique standing as the only team to play a mile above sea level and Denver’s scenic mountain views,” according to a release. “The rainbow coloring on the wordmarks and side panels is inspired by the Nuggets’ history of rainbow uniforms that began with the iconic uniforms of the 70s when rainbows were included on early designs to represent the beautiful sunsets in the Mile High City. Trim, numbers and Denver Nuggets branding on the waistband and jock tag are in the Nuggets’ core navy blue to complete the uniform.”

Bringing back the rainbow pic.twitter.com/CXQ74Zh0cQ

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 14, 2024

According to the team’s online schedule, Denver will debut the city edition uniforms on Nov. 25 against the Knicks at Ball Arena. The uniforms will be worn for six regular-season home games in total.

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In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene as Denver gets ready for the NBA Cup. Among the topics discussed:

• The NBA Cup is here, and people are wearing captain hats in Golden State! How about those courts? Terrible or just plain awful?
• Nikola Jokic is playing like an MVP yet again. Can the big fella handle such a big load all season? Or does Michael Malone need to dial back on the minutes? Is Dario Saric already done with the Nuggets?
• The youth movement is on in Denver after the young trio of Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther played key roles in back-to-back wins against the OKC Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks. Is it time for Calvin Booth to take a victory lap?
• Bennett reviews the NBA wins draft and where everyone stands early in the season.

Subscribe to the podcast
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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando opens up the Nuggets Mailbag periodically during the season. You can submit a Nuggets- or NBA-related question here.

Why is the Nuggets’ defense so horrific so far this season? Anything in particular stand out? I’ve only occasionally watched on national broadcasts as I refuse to pay for the cheap Kroenkes’ streaming service, but have noticed a ton of points being given up.

— CS, Denver

I don’t know about “horrific.” Points in a vacuum don’t always tell the whole story. But you’re not wrong. The early returns indicate a regression toward 2022-23 numbers.

The Nuggets have the 18th-ranked defense through 10 games. That’s 10 spots lower than last season and three spots lower than two years ago. The good news: They were good enough offensively to win the championship anyway that season, and their current offensive rating is within 0.1 points of the 2022-23 team despite roster changes and injuries.

Back to defense, though. Michael Malone can almost stomach a loss despite good defense more than he can a win featuring bad defense. (Key word is “almost.”) The first topic he brought up to reporters after the win over Miami was the lack of discipline Denver exhibited at that end.

There’s some important context. The Nuggets are allowing the second-most field goal attempts per game (93.5) and the seventh-most 3-point attempts (39.5), an obvious formula for giving up more points — but that’s partially a result of the increased tempo they’re intentionally playing at this season. They currently rank seventh in PACE (101.24), up from 26th. This is what happens when you add Christian Braun to the starting lineup and Russell Westbrook to the rotation.

Playing fast on offense can speed up the opponent, too. The Nuggets are up from 17th to fourth in fast break points, but they’re also allowing 3.5 more per game than last season. There’s a give and take. Malone believes some of the “give” is avoidable. He’s been unhappy with communication getting back in transition — multiple players beelining for the paint and leaving shooters uncovered.

There are issues popping up in the half-court, too. Braun’s upgrade to the starting lineup resulted in a defensive downgrade to the bench, an issue exacerbated this week by Gordon’s injury and Peyton Watson’s subsequent increase in starting minutes. Denver is allowing the fifth-most points in the paint per 100 possessions (53).

Braun has been outstanding so far as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s replacement, especially with more physical assignments. But from what I can tell on film, he hasn’t mastered screen navigation to the extent of KCP yet. If he’s chasing a ballhandler from behind after struggling to get over a screen, that can set off a chain reaction of help and recovery. Certain quick guards (Kyrie Irving) can take advantage without needing to pass; others can locate the roll man or the open spot-up shooter, forcing rotations and tiring out Denver’s defenders with ball movement. The Nuggets are allowing the most assists per game and per 100 possessions in the league.

They also have a lot of jumpy guys who are susceptible to biting on shot-fakes. Players who attack those close-outs can collapse the defense easily and set off the same reaction. The result? The seventh-most wide-open 3s (20.6) allowed per game.

Michael Malone is playing the starters — especially Nikola Jokic — a ton early in the season. Why doesn’t Malone just play the stiffs Calvin Booth has given him to prove a point? That they’re stiffs (Dario Saric, Zeke Nnaji)? It seems ill-advised to play Jokic and Jamal Murray so much this early in the season. They play more than LeBron, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, etc. It doesn’t make any sense other than Malone is acting like Art Howe, the manager in “Moneyball” (played by the great Philip Seymour Hoffman). Your thoughts?

— CS, Denver

First of all, Durant was actually playing more minutes than Jokic or any of Denver’s players before injuring his left calf last weekend. The reason for that is similar to the reason Jokic is averaging 38.1 minutes. In the Suns’ first 10 games, six of their eight wins were decided by a margin of six or fewer points. Four of those wins were one-score games. They conclusively would not be 8-2 without a heavy dosage of Durant. Sound familiar?

Malone deserves some slack here. Phoenix’s situation is pretty clear evidence to me that all coaches are creatures of instinct. Their responsibility is to win games, and if games are close, they’re going to rely on their best player more. Especially when you consider the landscape of the NBA. If coaches don’t win games, their job security is questioned immediately. The Nuggets started the season 0-2 and faced a lot of pressure to get back on track. They accomplished that. They’re 7-3. Malone’s delegation of minutes was the cost. I’m guessing most Denver fans prefer this to being 4-6 with Jokic and MPJ playing less.

Now, your point still has credence. Malone has pointed out himself that Jokic’s playing time isn’t sustainable. The Nuggets need at least one of Nnaji or Saric to be good. I’d argue Nnaji more so, from a salary standpoint. He’s a player whose confidence tends to gain traction with reps. He hasn’t played double-digit minutes in more than six consecutive games since the first six of last season. That means Malone might need to find situations to let him play through mistakes, for Jokic’s sake.

I just think those situations haven’t presented themselves yet, with the exception of one game.

Love the reference, by the way. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best to ever do it. Since you asked (you didn’t), I think “Magnolia” is his best performance.

So what’s Denver’s solution to give Nikola Jokic time to rest on the bench? Dario Saric hasn’t looked very good. Zeke Nnaji is mid. DeAndre Jordan’s just a locker-room leader now. Is there anyone out there on the market? Can we call up PJ Hall for a few games to kick his tires?

— Mike, Denver

I’ll treat this as a trade-related question because, as I just told CS, the ideal solution would be for one of Saric or Nnaji to grow into the season and play better.

The Nuggets will likely be hard-pressed to acquire a rotation-worthy big man before the trade deadline — Robert Williams III, Jonas Valanciunas and Nikola Vucevic come to mind — unless they’re willing to part with young talent, which could compromise an already tenuous floor-spacing situation.

They’ve managed to overcome that so far by shooting the second-highest 3-point percentage in the league. But you have to consider that Braun, Jokic and Gordon’s numbers will drop eventually. They can’t stay above 50% forever.

With that in mind, my sense is that if Denver decides to be active in the trade market this season, the priority will be adding a shooter. The front office views Gordon as an above-average backup center for playoff purposes, I’ve been told. That’s when the rotation shortens anyway. These concerns about the center position during Jokic’s rest minutes are more confined to the regular season.

Like I said, patience is probably the best medicine with Nnaji and Saric, but if it gets really bad, maybe Hall is worth a try. After all, Denver’s two-way center last season, Jay Huff, is thriving in Memphis on a regular contract now.

Worst-case scenario — Nuggets flame out in first round of 2025 playoffs and decide they need to make one major change. Who would they move: Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon or Michael Porter Jr.? And what would be the issues involved, i.e., first/second-apron restrictions, no real market for one or another player, etc.?

— Douglas Murray, Grand Junction

Already feeling fatalist about the season after 10 mostly successful games, are we, Douglas?

Remind me of this question in April if the Nuggets are holding their breath to avoid the play-in. In the meantime, I’ll say this: If they flame out in the first round, Murray will probably have something to do with that, simply because this is a championship-caliber team when he’s producing. And if Murray had something to do with a second consecutive postseason regression, I imagine it would be awfully difficult to find a team willing to trade for his max contract. Just look at how quickly the market dried up for Brandon Ingram due to extension implications.

Porter is probably the answer. Denver has already floated him in trade talks that didn’t go anywhere last summer. If he gets through another healthy season and continues to look as polished as he has offensively, I think the narrative around his contract will flip. Teams are always interested in size plus shooting.

Thanks to Gordon’s 2025-26 salary concession in recent negotiations, the Nuggets are positioned to avoid the second apron again next year, allowing more wiggle room in trades. They should still be able to aggregate salaries, for instance. But that wouldn’t likely be relevant in the situation you’re outlining anyway, because they would probably be trying to break up a big contract into multiple smaller ones, rather than vice versa.

Can we talk about Christian Braun? The kid’s improved by leaps and bounds in the offseason. What changed from last year to this year? And what are his chances of being the NBA’s most improved player?

— Matt C., Boulder

His shot has received worthy attention, but I think the most important difference offensively is Braun’s control and finishing ability at the rim. The game has seemingly slowed down for him when he’s slashing, cutting, absorbing contact. Players who recognize rotations and cut are often rewarded by Jokic, but they’re still responsible for converting the opportunities. Braun has done that. His paint productivity should be sustainable, even if his 3-point percentage averages out.

He might have a hard time winning Most Improved Player this season if Victor Wembanyama levels up to All-NBA status. Even after Wembanyama’s inefficient start, I see a world where he ends up running away with the award. But Braun probably belongs on a list of five early contenders based on how Denver’s starting lineup has not lost a step with him in it.

Jamal Murray issued a challenge to his locker-room neighbor.

He needed to be entertained somehow. And someone other than Nikola Jokic was going to have to score to make up for Murray’s absence. He was recovering from a hamstring injury, and the Nuggets were halfway through a month of fending without him. It was Nov. 17, 2023, in New Orleans.

So Murray turned to Christian Braun in the visitors’ locker room. Take a step-back tonight, he dared the 22-year-old.

“I ended up hitting three 3s that game,” Braun told The Denver Post, accurately recalling the box score one year later.

Whether any of those 3s qualified as a legitimate step-back is open for debate. But Braun made 11 of 19 shots from the field that night, attacking the basket and unleashing jumpers with the confidence of a much older player. It was as if Murray had possessed him. His career-high 25 points revealed a momentary glimpse of scoring potential.

Braun hasn’t matched that yet, but it might only be a matter of time. Especially if Murray keeps challenging him to outdo himself — a trend that continued Wednesday night before Denver’s win over Oklahoma City. Braun has rocketed out of the gate as the Nuggets’ new fifth starter, averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, a block and a steal per game through a tenth of the season.

“Let’s stop talking about comparing CB and KCP,” coach Michael Malone said Friday after Braun’s predecessor, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, was invoked in a question. “I don’t even think it’s worthwhile anymore.”

When Caldwell-Pope signed with Orlando in free agency this summer, Braun earned the promotion with his defense. He’s vindicating it with a third-year leap on offense. In nine starts, he’s shooting 55.8% from the floor — nearly 10% higher than he did in a smaller role last season — and 50% from 3-point range at an increased volume of 3.6 attempts per game.

That’s where Murray comes in. His seat is next to Braun’s in the locker room at Ball Arena, but they post up next to each other on the road as well. Last season as Braun was turning around his shooting percentages, he cracked a joke to Murray that he was going to be a runoff jump-shooting threat soon. To Murray, it was hardly a joke. He has grown fond of instructing the younger guard on a nightly basis — usually nothing as specific as a step-back shot, but often a message involving assertiveness.

” ‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’ ” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.'”

This week was another one of those times without Murray in the lineup. He was going through concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury Nov. 1 in Minnesota. But on Wednesday, before Denver hosted the undefeated Thunder, Murray still made time to light Braun’s fuse.

“Let’s see New Orleans CB,” Murray told him, according to Braun. “Let’s see that CB.”

Braun scored 24 points on 4-for-8 outside shooting, this time in a win. It was his second career 20-point game. Friday night against Miami was his third.

“Even his first year, he was really good when he went. In whatever he did,” Murray explained after Braun’s 21-point night on 7-of-9 shooting vs. the Heat. “Just being more decisive. Not just more decisive, but more confident in what he’s gonna do. If he’s gonna drive, he’s going. If he’s gonna shoot, he’s shooting. … It’s good to see him get it up and shoot with confidence. Even if he misses, the next one’s going up. He’s not thinking about it. If he’s open, he’s letting it fly. Obviously, his game is more getting to the rim and dunking on people, but he’s well-rounded.”

Braun is trying to model routines after what he observes Murray and Jokic doing. He surrounds himself with both. After sitting near Murray in the locker room, he often plants himself next to Jokic on the bench. He picks up on details that might help him manage the increased toll he’s facing, even after playing every game last year. Seeing Murray use hot packs to keep the knees and ankles warm at halftime helped inspire Braun to use them. “I have to,” he said. “At all times, to be honest. On the bench. When I first come out, I’ve gotta have one on my back.”

This is how Braun goes about learning to be an NBA starter: taking notes and accepting challenges.

Even nine games in, when the fit seems seamless, he understands the 82-game grind hasn’t truly tested him in his new role yet.

“I try not to think about it, to be honest,” he told The Post. “Whatever it is, you’ve gotta show up. And I think I learned this from Nikola. Ups, downs, hurt, feeling great, you’ve gotta show up and do the same work every single day. Establish a routine, and no matter how you feel, do that exact same routine. … So I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to have lows or highs. I’m sure I’m gonna feel good some days. Some days, I’m not. That’s already happened. Because I’m still getting used to it. I’m still learning how to approach playing high minutes.”

So far, the KU alum is averaging 35.3 per game, up from 20.2 last year. These minutes are more strenuous, too. The Nuggets expect him to shoulder defensive responsibility for the best guard on the floor: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, perhaps Luka Doncic when the Mavericks visit on Sunday.

Resisting the instinct to make a beeline for the bench after halftime has taken some getting used to. It’s a reflex built up from the first two years of Braun’s career. For the first time, he has to be physically and mentally prepared the instant the game restarts.

“When Joker goes out (to warm up) at six minutes (left in halftime), he never misses that,” the guard said. “So one thing I learned: I had to go out there earlier. At halftime, I had to go out there earlier. I had to move around a little bit and stay warm. So there’s a lot of different things I’ve learned, and there’s a lot of things I’m gonna continue to learn throughout the year.”

In the meantime, Murray will stay in Braun’s ear about shooting. The right ear, to be exact.

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Jamal Murray’s return from the shelf was a soothing reminder to the Nuggets: Even if he is struggling, their starting lineup is better off with him in it.

Murray scored 28 points after missing the last three games with a concussion, and Denver’s top unit played some of its crispest offensive basketball of the season in a 135-122 win over the Heat on Friday, even with Aaron Gordon out.

Nikola Jokic took only 27 minutes to earn his fifth triple-double in nine games, finishing the night with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists on 11 of 13 shooting. Christian Braun continued his red-hot adjustment period with the starting lineup by making his first six shots of the night for 19 points before the perfect game ended. Michael Porter Jr. matched him with 21 points. And Murray worked around a few sloppy turnovers to make four 3-pointers, grab four rebounds and add six assists in his effective return.

The Nuggets (6-3) have won six of their last seven games after losing the first two of the season.

It didn’t matter that Miami shot 20 of 43 from 3-point range, or that a 26-point lead got whittled to 14 by the end of the third quarter even with Jokic on the floor. Denver’s starting lineup made offense look easy for extended stretches: a 40-point first quarter and a 15-4 run in the first three minutes of the second half. Scoring was balanced. Even Peyton Watson, filling in for an injured Gordon, amassed 16 points.

After Miami put pressure on the Nuggets to protect a somewhat precarious lead without Jokic in the fourth quarter, Michael Malone got as experimental as he’s been all season. Jokic’s rest minutes had been a disaster in the first half — a quick 10-0 Heat run in three minutes and change. So Malone tried a new variation of the second unit.

Instead of Zeke Nnaji at center, nobody played center.

The lineup featured Murray, Porter, Watson, Julian Strawther and Russell Westbrook. Why was Westbrook last? Because if anyone qualified as the five, it was technically him. He was the player selected to guard Bam Adebayo. He got a stop on the first possession of the quarter.

Malone stuck with the unorthodox quintet for a stretch of 4:45. It tied the minutes, 12-12.

Heat forward Jimmy Butler limped off the floor six minutes into the game and was quickly ruled out with a right ankle sprain. Watson guarded him with tenacity before the injury, another brief glimpse of the rising defensive prowess of Denver’s 2022 draft duo, Braun and Watson.

Tyler Herro led Miami with 24 points. Adebayo added 20. The Heat, never a team that gives up, made a late push to get the margin as close as seven, but Jokic buried a 3-pointer to stretch the lead back to 13 with 90 seconds left. It also pushed him over the 30-point threshold for the third time this season. The triple-double was the 135th of his career.

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