Jamal Murray ignited for 45 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. His incredible performance was his first game scoring 40 or more since Game 2 of the first round of the 2022-23 playoffs. He went 121 games without a 40-point game until his recent outburst. With Murray struggling to start the season, he desperately needed to provide his All-Star self again. It could not have come sooner for the Nuggets. The Nuggets have been very reliant on Nikola Jokić, as he hasn’t had much support from his teammates. Murray returning to an All-Star form can provide the boost the Nuggets need.
Jamal Murray is Returning to All-Star Form
Trending in the Right Direction
With Murray struggling to start the season, he has picked up the pace recently. Through Murray’s first 17 games, he averaged 17.8 points per game on 42.0% from the field and 33.3% from three. Those numbers significantly dropped from his career season in 2023-24 where he averaged career-high numbers in all three categories. He averaged 21.2 points per game on 48.1% and 42.5% from three last season. The past 16 games for Murray have been more aligned with his 2023-24 season than the beginning of this season. In this recent stretch, he averaged 21.9 points per game shooting 47.3% from the field and 43.3% from downtown.
Numbers are only one portion of the story. Murray has locked in defensively and is providing a spark of energy he had not shown early in the season. Despite coming into the season sluggishly and shooting poorly, he has made an effort to return to the borderline All-Star player that he has shown in the past. In an interview with Jared Greenberg of NBA on TNT on X, Murray said this regarding his play starting the season:
“I need to play my best. I need to play better. I’ve played terrible up until today, and I’ve struggled. The season’s all about highs and lows and about weathering storms… Just take this as a positive note and keep moving, but you can’t get too high; you can’t get too low.”
Murray took accountability for his poor play opening the season, which is a positive sign for the Nuggets, who need Jamal to continue to prove he is breaking out of his slump. If Murray can carry his momentum from his 45-point outburst to the remainder of the season, it will elevate Denver to the next level.
Similar Trends to the Rest of Career
As a player who has never made the All-Star roster, Murray can attribute that to his slow starts to seasons. Despite proving himself multiple times in the playoffs, where he has played at a superstar level, he has not shown that level of play throughout the regular season. Throughout Murray’s career, his worst months in scoring and field goal percentage come in October, November, and December. He averages 14.6 points per game in October on 40.4% from the field. In November, he averages 16.3 points per game on 43.1% shooting. He averages 17.3 points per game on 44.7% from the field in December.
In his career year last season, Murray missed a big chunk of the beginning of the season, which led to him missing out on becoming an All-Star. Before the All-Star break last season, Murray averaged a respectable 20.5 points per game with a 46.8/41.1/84.9 splits. He had an average plus/minus of +3.7 in that span. After the All-Star break, he ramped up his production. He averaged 22.6 points per game on 50.6/45.7/86.2 splits with a +8.7 plus/minus. With Murray ramping up his production as the season goes on, it has soiled his chances to become an All-Star.
Despite never making an All-Star appearance, he has proved himself in moments when it matters most — the playoffs. The Nuggets have showcased a dominant two-man game between Murray and Jokić annually in the playoffs. Murray consistently ups his game in the playoffs, but extending that stellar play across a whole season would be reassuring to the team. With Murray’s big game on Tuesday, he could get back on track with how his career has aligned. Showcasing his All-Star abilities throughout the rest of the year would place the Nuggets comfortably near the top of the strong Western Conference.
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