College (Kentucky Wildcats)
Jamal Murray played under John Calaparri at Kentucky for his lone college season. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He shot 45.3% from the floor and 40.8% from three point range. Murray was one of the best players on the Kentucky team he played for, and carried the team through the year. The season ended on a sour note in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, but Murray had made his case to be a high lottery pick.
Scouts were in love with Murray throughout the pre-draft process, especially his potential. He was a very well balanced player at Kentucky, with room to grow and improve in a few areas. He had many strengths coming out of school that made him a target for almost every team. From NBADraft.net:
"Can really attack defenses when going downhill … Comfortable finishing in the lane and has a variety of shots to finish in the paint … Uses his athleticism to be a creative finisher around the rim … Thrives in the clutch. Not afraid of the big moments or the big stage … Plays with a calming presence at all times … Never seems rattled or off his game … NBA-level athlete that will pose a problem for opposing point guards in the league … A natural scorer … Makes putting the ball in the basket look effortless … Moves well without the ball … Very good in catch and shoot situations …"
The things that he had to improve on was his defense. Murray wasn’t known for being a defensive player, and in order for him to be successful in the NBA, he had to make sure he mastered his defense. He also had to cut down on his turnovers, and take more smart shots. From NBADraft.net:
"The tools and effort are there for Murray to be an above average defender, but will often lose focus off the ball … Will gamble for steals and hurt the team defensively … Might be the role Calipari is asking him to play, but looks like he would be a score first point guard at this stage of his development … Not much of a playmaker for others (averaging only 2.3 assists per game) … Can become too dependent on his outside shot in games … Too turnover prone, especially for an off guard, with 2.6 turnovers per game and a turnover rate of 13.6%"
As NBADraft.net pointed out, Murray was a score first guard coming out of college. He turned the ball over too much, and he was doing that as a shooting guard, not a ball handling point guard.
After taking point guard Emmanuel Mudiay #7 overall in 2015, the Nuggets took a chance on Murray and his sky-high ceiling. Murray was an unknown at that point, with the potential to either stay at shooting guard or make the switch to point guard. In his first season, the Nuggets tried to ease Murray into the league and see what he was capable of.