would have been nearly buried in most seasons, but a down year in the Western Conference left a ray of hope. The Nuggets responded to that losing streak by winning 11 of their next 19 games, with Mudiay missing much of that stretch because of a back injury.

The Nuggets weren’t setting the world on fire, but they entered the all-star break with a 1½-game lead in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference with 26 games to play. That left their goal in sight, and it left Malone with a decision to make at point guard as Mudiay prepared to return from his back injury. Put him back in the lineup? Or go with the players who are doing well?

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A new No. 7 pick

Shooting was never viewed as a concern for Murray. The Nuggets had the No. 7 pick for the second year in a row last June and selected the freshman from Kentucky, who boldly claimed on draft night: “I believe I can hit any shot.”

The 19-year-old’s supreme confidence didn’t end there. Murray made it clear to anyone who would listen that he could a standout point guard. He played off the ball at Kentucky with Tyler Ulis running the point. But the Nuggets had seen Murray effectively play point guard as a member of the Canadian national team during the Pan American Games and believed he was capable of playing the position in the NBA.

The Nuggets wanted to be able to look back at the