Jamal Murray is granting the Nuggets' longtime wish

There is no debate about whether Jamal Murray is one of the best point guards in the league (unless you're a Lakers fan who has been scarred by Jamal so many times you refuse to admit the truth), but his history of slow starts has hindered his individual play and the Denver Nuggets' team play. Based on what we've seen thus far, that will change this season.

Murray didn't have to rehab an injury during the offseason. He spent time working with the younger players in Denver and was one of many Nuggets players who traveled to Los Angeles to take part in the "Rico Runs." David Adelman said Murray made improving his conditioning an offseason goal, and it's already paying off. He looked different during the preseason.

The 29-year-old guard finished with 25 points against the Warriors, the second-most on the team, behind Aaron Gordon and his career-high 50 points. Murray shot 11-of-20 from the field and 1-of-4 from three, to go with 10 assists, three rebounds, and three steals in 40 minutes.

Denver doesn't have to wait for Murray to play himself into some rhythm. He probably wasn't satisfied with his game one performance, wishing he could go back and knock down some of the shots he missed, but it was a version of Murray that fans typically don't see this time of year.

Jamal Murray's offseason work is already paying off for the Nuggets

There is one notable accomplishment missing from Murray's resume: he hasn't been named an All-Star. Everyone knows how Murray elevates himself during the playoffs (if he's healthy), but during the regular season, you don't always see that level of play from him — just flashes of it.

You've heard a thousand times how Nikola Jokić hasn't had an All-Star teammate, and after the first game, it looks like he could have two, with Gordon leading the charge. You don't earn any award after the first game of the season, though. Gordon proving that this three-point shooting from last season was no fluke was absolutely incredible to watch, but the odds of Murray earning an All-Star nod are still higher.

Murray's primary goal this season isn't to be in Los Angeles during the All-Star break, although it's an accomplishment he'd like to check off. He wants to do whatever he can to help his team reach the same height they did two years ago. A strong regular season is a big part of that.

The result of the first game didn't go Denver's way, but one of the silver linings, besides Gordon, is that Jamal Murray is already looking like Jamal Murray — and it's only October.