Nuggets believe Jamal Murray has hit superstar status

The Denver Nuggets finally have two superstars: Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been nothing short of exceptional this postseason.

With averages of 26.6 points, 6.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds rebounds per game (while shooting 50.5% from the field and 47.7% from three) in the playoffs, the cold-blooded Canadian has stepped up his game when the team has needed it the most.

From his all-time great duel with Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in the first round (where he averaged 31.6 points per game), to his showing against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Murray has played at such a high-level consistently that his teammates and coaches are ready to grant him the superstar label.

Following the Nuggets’ win over the Lakers in Game 3, in which they were by far the more dominant team, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone would say that Denver has “two superstars in Nikola and Jamal” (per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk).

The most well-known and highly-regarded player on their team, Nikola Jokic, would also call Jamal a superstar.

Interestingly enough, Jokic would tell reporters that the Nuggets didn’t have “any kind of superstars” after their 3-1 comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

Give Jokic high marks for his humility but it appears that after the clutch performance from Murray (and from himself, for that matter), he can’t hold it in any longer. The Blue Arrow has become a superstar with superhero performances in the postseason.

As noted by The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, Murray has been blistering hot from deep in the clutch. He’s shooting 72.7% from 3-point range in these instances, which would be the single highest postseason percentage in league history for players with a minimum of 10 attempts.

When you consider that Murray was averaging 18.5 points per game in the regular season and shooting 34.6% from 3-point range, it only makes his ascension all the more impressive.

Not only does Murray lead the Nuggets in total points (453) this postseason, but total assists (110), total 3-point makes (62) and total steals (17). To Malone though, it’s not just the numbers but the consistency on offense and the defensive level he’s played as well:

"“Now I know every night what I’m getting from Jamal,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “Last year, we knew what we were getting from Nikola, but [not] what kind of game would Jamal have. That’s no longer the case.”"

Before the playoffs began, Denver was likely underestimated because of the belief that they only had one true star. After all, Jokic was the only current All-Star on the team and Murray’s regular season performance was pretty good but nobody would have called it elite.

With Murray playing at an elite level though, everything changes.

Now, like the Clippers or the Lakers, the team has two players that can play at an All-Star level and many of the pieces around their two stars have the potential to be an x-factor every game. In Game 3 it was Jerami Grant but Monte Morris, Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Paul Millsap and Torrey Craig can be as well — all for different reasons but for a reason nonetheless.

There isn’t any time for Murray to rest on his laurels, as Los Angeles still holds a 2-1 lead over them in the Western Conference Finals. However, it has to feel good to him to know that his teammates and coaches see him in a superstar light moving forward.