Naji Marshall

With an offensive light that became slightly greener, given the absence of his All-NBA teammate, Naji Marshall stepped onto the Denver Nuggets’ bright-yellow court with no plans of proceeding with caution. Guaranteed already of a new career-high by night’s end, Marshall maintains momentum, punishing Jamal Murray’s committed, yet poorly-positioned closeout with a powerful left-side drive towards the rim. One bucket shy of potentially throwing the Denver Nuggets’ comeback bid out of the window, Marshall banks in a clutch floater, securing a four-point edge with under 20 seconds to play. Marshall’s full-game contributions proved vital in ensuring survival against Denver’s offensive torrential downpour, a post-halftime run that saw the Dallas Mavericks’ 24-point second half lead become a five-point deficit at one point. Pairing his elevated role with identical play, Marshall captured a 26-point, one-rebound, one-assist, one-steal, three-triple performance (on 11-of-15 shooting) in November 22, 2024’s win.