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Jamal Murray is underrated

By Michael Mannen

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jamal Murray has the potential to be one of the best players in the history of the Denver Nuggets franchise

Denver Nugget point guard Jamal Murray is a special talent.

Until this season, the Nuggets have not had an All-star since 2011.

Jamal Murray for his skills on the basketball court does not get enough praise off the court. Jamal Murray maybe the most underrated player in the NBA. His game closely resembles a mixture a young Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry. However, his game is probably more similar to Kyrie Irving. Despite his beef earlier in the season with Kyrie Irving, Kyrie is the superstar Jamal Murray most resembles in the NBA.

Jamal Murray at this stage in his career was performing better in the playoffs than Kyrie Irving or Stephen Curry.

Stephen Curry did not make the playoffs until he was 24 years old. In his first playoff appearance, he averaged .396 3P%, .434 FG%, and 23.4 PPG. At age 22, Jamal Murray averaged 21.3 PPG in his first playoff appearance. And in the semifinals against the Trail Blazers, Murray averaged 23.6 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 98.2 FT%.

Kyrie Irving in his first playoff appearance at age 22 was averaging only 19.0 PPG and 3.8 APG.

While Murray has occasionally struggled from the three point line, he can hit big shots like Kyrie Irving. Murray is great at handling the basketball and is good at driving to the basket. He is a great finisher like Kyrie Irving.

Hopefully Murray is able to improve his consistency over the next couple of seasons. However, as he becomes a veteran player this will definitely happen.

Legendary Point Guard Chauncey Billups set-down with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic early in the season to discuss what it was like for each player to play with the other.

Jamal Murray explained about his mentality on the basketball court.

"I am a competitive guy. I like going at people…I have no emotion and no feelings for anybody.I am no going to ask you how you are feeling and can I go at you. I am just going to go at you."

The Joker confirmed the sentiment.

"He’s competitive you know…he can go for fifty every night."

Murray definitely has the competitive drive to be a successful player. However, Murray needs more productive players around him.  Denver’s bench really held them back in the playoffs and was a big part of their undoing in the majority of the losses against the Trail Blazers. The Nuggets needed more than Jokic and Murray to beat the Trail Blazers.

The Nuggets with Jokic and Murray have one of the best combos in the NBA. And they provide Denver with two elite decision makers to make plays and run the offense.

As tracy McGrady noted on ESPN,

"I’ve never seen a combination like those two…You have a guy like Jamal, who comes off the pick and shoots the way he does, or passes it to a guy with the skill set of Jokic."

Moreover, both the Joker and Murray are capable of scoring 40 points a night. And both players have complete offensive skills sets that can allow them to adjust to their opponents.

The last time the Nuggets featured two All-Stars players was back in 2010 when they had Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. However, both players were older and at the end of their careers.

This is the first time in the history of the Denver Nuggets franchise were they have two All-stars in their early twenties. And two legitimate future MVP candidates in their early twenties. Right now, the Nuggets are the second youngest team in the NBA.

Jamal Murray is definitely a box-office attraction for the Denver Nuggets and a future All-Star.

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