We're only three games into the 2025-26 regular season, but it's looking more and more like Jamal Murray will finally earn an All-Star nod. He's already a Denver Nuggets star, helping them win a title in 2023, but he's never spent a weekend in February with the top players in the league.
Murray is averaging 30.3 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 53% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 92.3% from the free-throw line. Some may be thinking that it's just October, so what's the big deal? The answer to that is that it's October! This isn't the version of Murray that anyone is used to seeing, definitely not in October.
career average of 15.8 in October 😭 god I never realized how bad it actually was https://t.co/72xwdH723M
— Bobby (@BobbyMlRE) October 28, 2025
Fans heard about the work that Murray put in over the summer, how he focused on improving his conditioning, how he stayed in Denver to work with the younger players, and how he traveled to Los Angeles for the "Rico Runs."
Murray didn't have to spend the offseason rehabbing from an injury, giving him a leg up. He dealt with a sprained ankle in the 2024 playoffs, then spent the bulk of the summer training and playing for Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Denver has gotten a well-rested, re-energized version of Murray this season.
Jamal Murray could finally become an NBA All-Star
Has Murray played like an All-Star-caliber player before? Absolutely, but the thing is, never at this point in the season. It takes him several weeks to get into gear and look like the player that fans know and love.
NBA All-Stars are named in January, with voting typically open for about a month, starting sometime in mid-to-late December. Murray is often an afterthought during All-Star voting because that's not when he's playing like Jamal Murray.
As good as he's playing now, he isn't peaking yet. He doesn't want to peak in October, but given that this is where he's starting the season, this could be Murray's best season yet.
You can bet that if his level of play continues from Murray (and that doesn't mean he can't have bad games), he should be one of the top All-Star guard candidates in the West. At the age of 28 and in his 14th season in the league (counting the one he missed), Murray could spend his All-Star break in Los Angeles at Intuit Dome.
It will be nice for Nikola Jokić to have some company from his good friend Jamal.