Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray was forced out of the team’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday due to a concussion.

Murray’s possible absence would be a blow to a Nuggets team that was already trying to replace the perimeter scoring of former shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope joined the Orlando Magic in free agency in the offseason.

The 27-year-old didn’t get off to a good start in Denver’s first four games of the season. Murray was averaging 18.8 points and 4.8 assists per game on a 37.9/35.0/90.0 shooting distribution heading into Friday’s contest.

Still, he has shown he can bounce back from a series of poor shooting performances, and his ability to create shots alongside superstar center Nikola Jokić is crucial to the Nuggets’ offensive efficiency.

Even though Murray doesn’t have All-Star honors in a Western Conference full of elite point guards, he’s still averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists per game in his last two games while posting 46.7 has shot percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three assists seasons.

After helping the Nuggets win their first championship in franchise history during the 2022-23 season, Murray signed a four-year, $208 million contract extension with Denver on September 7.

Should he be forced to miss time, Russell Westbrook will likely start in his place. Westbrook is averaging 9.8 points and 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game off the bench this season, but has a field goal percentage of just 27 percent.

Murray’s availability should be clearer before the Nuggets’ next contest, a clash with the Utah Jazz on Saturday.