Denver Nuggets: Jamal Murray can take another step towards stardom in Game 5

Denver Nuggets standout Jamal Murray has been rather quiet against the Los Angeles Clippers, but he can solidify his stardom in Game 5.

The Denver Nuggets have reached a point at which they know what to expect of Nikola Jokic. The All-NBA big man consistently produces big numbers in every phase of the game, and his impact enables Denver to compete with anyone.

The Nuggets will go as far as Jamal Murray enables them to, however, and that’s a significant reason why they’re in a 3-1 hole.

Murray was spectacular during the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. He had two 50-point games, three 40-point games, and four games with at least 36 points. Overall, he averaged 31.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds during Denver’s seven-game win over the Utah Jazz.

Sans Game 2, Murray has struggled to emulate that success during the second-round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Murray is currently averaging 17.8 points and 7.0 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc through four games against the Clippers. Those are certainly acceptable numbers from a point guard, but they come with an additional piece of statistical context.

Remove Game 2 from the equation and Murray is averaging just 14.7 points on 34.0 percent shooting from the field during the Western Conference Semifinals.

Murray’s eruption during Game 2 was certainly welcome. He went off for 27 points, six assists, and two steals, shooting 10-of-21 from the field, 3-of-8 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 at the charity stripe.

It’s no coincidence that the Nuggets were able to win Game 2, as Murray going off tends to result in victories for Mike Malone’s crew.

Including the regular season, Denver is 12-4 when Murray scores at least 25 points and 22-8 when he scores at least 20. By comparison, the Nuggets are 21-19 when Murray fails to score at least 20 points—one less win in 10 more games.

Simply put: When Murray is healthy and scoring at a high level, Jokic’s contributions increase in value and the rest of the game becomes easier for the role players.

It would be unfair to put this entire series on Murray, as there’s room for criticism for virtually every player other than Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. In saying that, Murray is approaching All-Star status and that requires a higher degree of consistency.

Losing a pivotal Game 4 is especially concerning, as the Nuggets managed to hold the Clippers to just 96 points—meaning a big performance from Murray may have altered the outcome.

Murray wasn’t bad in Game 4, for what that may be worth. He posted 18 points and seven assists on 6-of-15 shooting, going 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 at the free throw line while compiling a +/- of -7 in an 11-point loss.

When the Nuggets can’t buy a bucket, however, Murray needs to grow into the role of the go-to scorer—meaning he must take the shots that other simply can’t make.

When Game 5 comes and Denver stares down a daunting, but not insurmountable 3-1 deficit, Murray will need to be better. More specifically: Murray will need to be more aggressive in the event that the Nuggets need him to make big shots.

The game will always flow through Jokic and his generational passing ability, but Denver can rest easy if it loses a game during which Murray goes out guns blazing.

When Murray has attempted at least 15 shot attempts, the Nuggets have compiled a record of 26-13. That includes a record of 5-1 when Murray attempts at least 20 field goals during the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

It also includes the Nuggets’ Game 2 victory over the Clippers, during which Murray attempted 21 shots—and the Game 3 loss during which he attempted his second-highest number of field goals of the series and Denver lost by just six points.

For perspective: Denver’s other two losses—when Murray attempted his fewest field goals of the series—were suffered by double-digit point tallies.

The Denver Nuggets will need more than Jamal Murray to erase this 3-1 deficit and reach the Western Conference Finals.

If he’s willing to go out guns blazing, however, Murray can make the next step towards stardom in Game 5.