Do The Denver Nuggets Have A Jamal Murray Problem?

Do The Denver Nuggets Have A Jamal Murray Problem?

I want to preface this with a few things. First, as a die-hard Denver Nuggets fan I will forever be grateful for Jamal Murray and what he did to help bring this team their first championship. Watching his recovery from his torn ACL and seeing his emotions after game five I will always remember. Second, I am aware that when it comes to the point guard position, Murray is among the best that the Nuggets have ever had. Lastly, I am not pressing the panic button *just* yet.

However, I think it’s time we have a conversation about Jamal Murray.

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to say that Murray has been the fourth-best player on this Denver Nuggets roster this season. The Nuggets have struggled quite a bit, going 13-10, good enough for sixth in the loaded Western Conference. Murray’s play has been a key part in that, as his 42.5% FG percentage is 114th in the league. His 33.7% 3-point percentage is by far the lowest of his career. 17.9 points per game is his lowest total since his second year.

I don’t want to pin *all* the issues on Murray, however, when you get handed a max extension (after a bit of controversy) after a very poor showing in the Olympics, on the heels of a disappointing end to the 2023-2024 season, you are expected to elevate your game. You need to prove those doubters wrong. You are also expected to be on the court, which brings me to my next point.

Murray has already missed five games this season, which is a concerning statistic as he has played 70+ games just two times in his nine-year career. The best ability is availability, and that has been a major issue for Murray throughout his NBA career. Are fans just supposed to be ok with their team handing out this kind of money for someone who we will be lucky to get 60 games out of? I’ll also remind you that Murray has never made an all-star team. Max extension.

Do The Denver Nuggets Have Your Respect Now?

The issue is I am not sure there’s anything that can be done about this. Jamal Murray is nine years into his NBA career, and yet it feels like Nuggets fans are still waiting for that next step in his development. If Denver could play the Lakers every night, Murray would be a top-three guard in the league. He’s a Laker killer through and through. He can flip that switch in the postseason and show flashes of the potential Denver saw in him when they took him seventh overall. But postseason Jamal and regular season Jamal are two different players. See for yourself:

• Regular Season
• 17.5 points per game
• 4.5 assists per game
• 45.1/37.8/86.4 shooting splits

• Postseason
• 24.2 points per game
• 6.2 assists per game
• 45.9/38.9/91.1 shooting splits

He’s simply a different player when the lights are brightest. That’s part of my issue. Why aren’t the lights always bright? Why is the switch not always flipped? Why do fans have to wait until the postseason to see the best version of Jamal Murray? It’s infuriating knowing so much of the salary cap is being taken up by a player who doesn’t seem to give his all on a night-in, night-out basis.

I’m not saying trade Jamal Murray, I don’t even think you can until January because of his new deal. If you had asked me six months ago, which of the core four I would have traded away, Murray’s name would not have come up in conversation. Now? If the Nuggets fail to make the NBA finals this year, I strongly believe there needs to be a conversation about moving off Murray. He means so much to this franchise, but sometimes you need to know when to let go. We will circle back in June.

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