Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic have been one of the best duos in the NBA over the past few years. Murray has endured ups and downs in the regular season, but often finds his footing in the postseason. However, could the addition of Cameron Johnson help Murray find more consistency during the regular season?
Johnson moves well off the ball and will help the Nuggets' offense take a step forward. He averaged 18.8 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Michael Porter Jr. was a quality catch-and-shoot player, but Johnson can create his own shot while also creating for others.
In 2024-25, Johnson set a new career-high with 3.4 assists despite playing for a lackluster Brooklyn Nets squad. That mark could further improve in 2025-26 in Denver with Murray, Jokic and the Nuggets.
Murray recorded 21.4 points and 6.0 assists per game last season while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from deep. Those are certainly respectable numbers, but Johnson's presence could lead to even better numbers for the Nuggets guard.
Johnson is going to command defensive pressure. Of course, Jokic always commands defensive pressure as well. With those two players both creating shots for themselves and others, Murray should have more open looks during the upcoming campaign. Additionally, Murray's assist numbers could improve since both Johnson and Jokic can score off the catch.
Jamal Murray's current situation with the Nuggets
It's seemingly a tremendous situation for Jamal Murray. He is already a good player, but he's surprisingly never been an All-Star. Perhaps that will change during the 2025-26 campaign. The Nuggets' primary goal is to win a championship, however, and Johnson joining Jokic and Murray will only help that goal as well.
Denver will be incredibly challenging to defend in the postseason. Upsetting the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder will be a challenge for every team, but the Nuggets may have an opportunity to get the job done. Defense will be pivotal, but if Murray, Johnson and Jokic live up to their full potential on the offensive end of the floor, opposing teams will struggle to compete with Denver.
The Nuggets project to be a dangerous team without question. If Jamal Murray does indeed take a step forward with Cameron Johnson now on the roster, though, this Nuggets team could end up returning to the NBA Finals.