Much has been made of the Nuggets’ two-man game with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray - and for good reason. Fans first got a glimpse of how incredible this duo could be in the bubble when Murray broke out and the team made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals after an impressive win over the heavily favored Clippers who led the series 3 games to 1.
The Nuggets couldn’t topple the Lakers in the conference finals but it was clear this team was on the rise and that last step was coming. But the next two years brought nothing but agony. Murray suffered a gruesome injury at the worst possible time and missed back-to-back playoff runs that left Jokic completely overmatched.
Murray finally bounced back for the 2022-23 season and the duo reached an incredible peak as they steamrolled their way to the franchise’s first NBA championship. It seemed like Denver was comfortably situated atop the mountain, but last season brought more injuries and Murray couldn’t get right in time for the team’s disappointing playoff loss to the Timberwolves.
The offseason brought more questions. Murray struggled to fight his injuries, looked awful for Team Canada in the Olympics, and started the season slowly, looking out of sorts after signing a max extension to stay in Denver. Many were wondering if we would ever see the heights of the Murray/Jokic two-man game again.
Nuggets have dominated league over the last month with Murray and Jokic
But recently something has flipped. Whether Murray has finally gotten fully over his lower body injuries or he’s finally gotten his legs under him and reached game shape, or perhaps he’s just over a slump, things have changed.
Over the past month or so, Murray has gotten back to being the elite offensive player we know and love. Specifically, the two-man magic with Jokic is back and it has turned the Nuggets back into a completely unstoppable offense.
To that point, in the past month, when Murray and Jokic share the floor, the Nuggets have an offensive rating of 143 points per 100 possessions. During that stretch, the team is shooting 57% from the floor, 40% from 3-point range, and 92% from the free throw line. These numbers would be all-time elite for anyone, and blow the lid off any NBA record.
This particular pace is almost certainly unsustainable, but the fact that we are seeing it for a prolonged stretch is an incredible sign. We’ve already seen this duo lead the team to a decisive NBA title, and now we’re seeing proof that they can do it again. If these two can look like this come playoff time, the Nuggets will be in great shape.