If the preseason was any indication, Jamal Murray should make more time for offseason trips to Jamaica.

“His movement, he’s just moving so well right now. The stop-and-go, everything about being an athlete, he looks like he’s in great shape,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after a preseason game at Ball Arena.

“Jamal stands out to me just because he made it a goal, and he put the work in. It shows in the way he’s playing.”

Had there been any tweaks to the offseason routine or focus ahead of his ninth NBA season, Murray’s not the type to admit as much, but he has maintained the importance of making the most of the time off mentally and physically. At the Nuggets’ media day, the 28-year-old said his offseason routine looked largely the same as prior years. The only difference was increased time that allowed for a full reset.

“Rest gives your body time to recuperate. It’s really not rocket science,” Murray said. “Your body gets rest. You get to recover. Then, you go back at it. It’s nothing crazy. I’m just ready to hoop.”

Murray spent some of that time in Jamaica where his father, Roger, was born. He hosted the JM Blue Arrow Basketball Camp in Montego Bay in September, something he’s done before but hasn’t had time for in recent years.

“Those kids are really bright. They’re really vibrant. They want to learn. They put the right energy into the workouts. They don’t, like, giggle off or stuff like that. It was really cool. Those young kids don’t really have a lot of resources. They just really want to learn and get better,” Murray said.

“Camp was really fun, because those guys were so focused. It allowed me to be myself and just teach.”

Last year, Murray’s time to rest and recover was shortened by Canada qualifying for the Olympics. There wasn’t much time to fully recover from the calf strain Murray played through in the playoffs or for Murray to ramp up for last season. The year prior, the Nuggets were the last team standing after winning the 2023 Finals and celebrated as such. The previous few offseasons were shortened if not completely wiped out by a torn anterior cruciate ligament and pandemic restrictions.

“I just feel a lot better than the last year. That’s always a positive,” Murray said.

“I took a good period of time off. Then, I had time to work myself back into working out, which was nice. So, here we are. I’m ready to go.”

Those around him have noticed a difference. Beyond the physical freshness, Murray was credited with being a leader of Denver’s offseason workouts in Denver and Los Angeles.

“He looks great on the court. I think his attitude and just the way he’s approached this summer has been really, really cool to watch. Everyday he comes in with a smile on his face and works. He’s always been a worker, but he’s talking. He’s active. When we get that Jamal … obviously, tonight he was pretty much perfect. I think he’s been moving really well on defense. This Jamal is really good for us. When Jamal plays at this level, we’re obviously at our best,” Christian Braun said.

“He always has done his work. Sometimes, he’s done it by himself. I think this year, he’s included everybody in whatever he’s been doing.  … His approach every night has been really, really cool to watch. Obviously, it’s showing in his game.”

The compact and complicated offseasons have played into Murray’s reputation for getting off to slow starts. The hope is this season is different, as the Nuggets enter a new era.

“You learn from everything in life, but sometimes part of learning stuff is forgetting about it and moving on. I think for him, this is a completely different year,” Adelman said. “There’s new teammates, new locker room, a new chance to lead differently, I think from what I saw this summer, he has a lot of momentum.”

A strong start would go a long way toward Murray making the first All-Star Game of his career. Murray would represent Canada in a new format that pits the United States’ best players against the premier NBA talent from the rest of the world, but a trip to Jamaica was part of a rejuvenating offseason.

“Everybody coming back mentally fresh, I think, is huge. I think everybody having their own time off to do what they want and feel how they want, think about what they need to think, I think is huge,” Murray said.

“We’re off to a great start, in my opinion. We just need to continue this. We can’t let little stuff derail us or whatever it may be. We’re just locked in and ready to go. … I’m just focused on having a really great November, though. That’s my biggest thing, having a great November. … I think if we just start there, I think we’ll get off to a great start.”