3 Denver Nuggets who could be first-time All-Stars in 2023
This past season, Nikola Jokic made his fourth-straight NBA All-Star Game appearance, becoming the first Denver Nuggets player to accomplish such a feat since Alex English in the 1980s. Unfortunately, this sense of pride diminishes quickly when you consider the fact that Jokic was Denver’s first All-Star in over a decade, with Carmelo Anthony making the last appearance back in 2011.
Simply put, the Nuggets have struggled to develop All-Star-caliber players in recent years. Sure, there’s been a lot of talent walk in and out of Ball Arena, including guys like Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, and Paul Millsap, to name a few. However, none put up anywhere close to what would be described as “elite” numbers during their time spent in the Mile High City.
That being said, we appear to be in a new era of Denver Basketball at the moment.
With Nikola Jokic coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, Jamal Murray inching closer to joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club and both Michael Porter Jr. and Bones Hyland appearing to be two of the best raw talents in the NBA. There’s an argument to be made that this is the most talented Denver Nuggets roster in franchise history.
Even though it seems highly unlikely that Jokic will clinch a third-straight league MVP next season, it feels pretty safe to assume that he will at least be an All-Star. The question then becomes will any of his Nuggets teammates be joining him?
3 Denver Nuggets who could be first-time All-Stars in 2023
1) Jamal Murray
With it being over a year now since the Blue Arrow was last seen in action, it’s easy to forget that he’s still one of the best young combo guards in the association. A player who was averaging career highs in points (21.2), assists (4.8), steals (1.3) and minutes per game (35.5), while knocking down nearly 48 percent of his shots from the field and 41 percent from long range when we last saw him operating at full capacity.
Not to mention his astounding NBA Bubble performance from the summer prior. When he torched opposing teams scoring more than 26 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists per game, while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep through 19 postseason contests. Playing a massive role in the Denver Nuggets reaching their first Western Conference Finals since 2009.
Murray’s 21.2 points per game in 2020-21 lands him a notch above players like Fred VanVleet, Dejounte Murray and LaMelo Ball, all of whom competed in the All-Star game this past year. While his efficiency numbers far outrank his counterparts, as not even pure scorers like Zach LaVine or Donovan Mitchell have come anywhere close to touching Murray’s .477/.408/.869 shooting splits from 2020-21.
Jamal Murray has been on an upwards trajectory for the last few years and is expected to come back at full strength from his ACL tear. So, assuming the Denver Nuggets stay competitive in the Western Conference (which feels like the expectation for next season), look for Murray to join Jokic as an NBA All-Star in 2023.