THE REAL MURRAY?
Guard may have turned corner
Keeler: After Sunday night — full disclosure, I’m typing this with my elbows; I haven’t felt my fingers in like three days — I’ve been thinking a lot about summer. And more, specifically, about summer Jamal Murray. Bubble Jamal Murray. Is he back? Is he here to stay? That 25-point night against the Lakers gave the Blue Arrow back-to-back 20-point outings for the first time since dropping four in a row from Dec. 25 to Jan. 3 on the Clippers (23), Rockets (21), Suns (31) and Timberwolves (36). Over five February tilts, Murray has scored at least 20 in three of them but 11 points or less in the other two, shooting a combined 7-for-23 in the first two games of the Nuggets’ most recent homestand. So which one is the real Jamal?
Singer: You know, I asked Murray Sunday night if he had any sense his “breakout” game was coming. Maybe I phrased it wrong, but he didn’t appreciate the sentiment. “I don’t know what you mean by breakout game,” he responded. The truth is Murray’s game against the Lakers was among his most complete efforts of the season. He was in attack mode the whole night, connected from outside, got to the free-throw line seven times, and was engaged defensively. His gamehigh plus-27 was reflective of his total effort. That it came despite a balky shooting elbow, a banged-up shoulder, a sore knee and a twisted ankle makes you wonder what he could do on a nightly basis if he wasn’t a walking injury report.
Keeler: You know what gives me hope? That move with 6:08 left in the first period. Murray’s 1-on-1 with Anthony Davis out on the right wing. Davis is insanely quick for 6-foot-10, but that’s a matchup that the Arrow should be able to win off the dribble in space. And he did, zigging left, then right, then left, then right again to finish with the one-handed scoop along the baseline. That’s joystick stuff. Poetry.
Singer: It was an electric move, and one he was still re-enacting with his teammates minutes later from the Nuggets’ bench. But it also raises another question: Does Murray take the best shots possible or does he hunt for harder shots that may, in turn, get him to the free-throw line? I’ve seen Murray bypass too many open 3-pointers for a guy who’s capable of connecting on 40% of his looks. At the same time, if he feels a pang in his shooting elbow on every release, how fair is it to compare him to “Bubble” Murray? As long as he’s not at risk of further injury, I don’t have a problem with him forging ahead in his banged-up state. And given that he’s only missed two games this year (both Sacramento), it’s pretty obvious the Nuggets don’t feel they can afford to rest him for any meaningful time.
Keeler: More hope: Even when the shot’s not there, Murray is finding other ways to contribute and keep the Nuggs afloat. I love this stat: Since Feb. 7, guess which Denver player is leading the roster in plus-minus? It’s not Nikola Jokic, who posted an outstanding +51 over four games. Nope, it’s Murray, with a whopping +64 despite connecting on only 38.6% from the floor and only 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Singer: At his best, Murray is an all-encompassing force. The emotional heartbeat of the team. The Nuggets can’t reach their peak unless Murray is fully engaged and attacking. In the last two games (wins vs. OKC and Los Angeles), he’s hoisted a combined 21 3-pointers. Before that, he’d only attempted double-digits from deep twice throughout the season. That’s the Murray the Nuggets need.