Denver Nuggets fans know about the underappreciated greatness of Jamal Murray. But many are frustrated that he still can't seem to get the respect he deserves from the referees, year in and year out. As of this writing, Murray is averaging 3.9 free throws attempted this season. That makes him the only 20-point per game scorer this season in the NBA averaging less than four free throw attempts per game.
Should Murray finish the current season with this mark, it would become the fifth season in a row that he averaged at least 20 points per game and 16 field goal attempts per game without also averaging at least four free throws per night. That's not just an unusual statistical anomaly, it's bordering on historic.
Of course, the modern NBA game typically rewards aggression. Guards who are good at getting in the lane and drawing contact typically live at the free throw line, especially those who have star scoring volume. But Nuggets fans are used to seeing Jamal drive into traffic, finish through contact, and take hits without drawing a whistle in the most frustrating way possible.
Jamal Murray can't get a fair whistle
We know that Murray generates star-level usage without getting star-level calls just by looking at the numbers. The eye test matches up with this on a near nightly basis, and it's been a wildly frustrating situation for those in Denver to endure over the last few seasons. If this were to be corrected, it's not unreasonable to think it would have a dramatic effect on the Nuggets' offense.
Nikola Jokic is of course a walking mismatch, but Murray's lack of free throw attempts does still limit Denver's ability to control the tempo as much as they would probably like to in close games. Jamal's drives to the basket should be a sort of pressure valve for this team, and instead they often end in no-calls that turn into frustration.
Just watch any Nuggets broadcast and you'll see much of the same pattern unfold. Murray is going to absorb bumps, clear arm contact, and verticality violations that get ignored. Jamal is still a creative finisher, so he doesn't always let this stop him. However, anyone who doesn't have a bias against the Nuggets knows that he should be getting rewarded for playing through contact, not penalized for it.
This continues to be among the most frustrating things for fans in Denver to watch every night. If the officials ever do start giving Jamal Murray a fair whistle, it's obvious that his scoring average would skyrocket, and the Nuggets' offense would simply become that much more unstoppable.