Jamal Murray has gotten off to a great start this season, and he deserves a ton of credit for working hard all offseason, coming into camp motivated, and in great shape. But it can’t go unnoticed how well Murray is playing in the minutes without Nikola Jokic, which has been a constant struggle for years.
But now, when Jokic sits and Murray runs the second unit, he has a legitimate pick-and-roll partner like never before in Jonas Valanciunas. JV is the best backup center Murray has ever played with, and a guy he can functionally play with and create advantages.
Big Val is a giant and a great screen setter. He has been working well in tandem with Murray, freeing him up for wide-open shots left and right. This allows Jamal to get into a rhythm and find the team easy buckets while the Joker gets some rest.
It’s a small sample, of course, but after a handful of games, Murray and Valanciunas have been the second most effective pick-and-roll duo in the entire NBA. Among the top 50 duos in the league, Murray and Val are averaging 1.53 points per direct screen, which tops all other pairs except for Giannis Antetoukounmpo and Myles Turner, who have produced a ridiculous 1.79 points per pick.
Added bench helping Murray as much as anyone
It has often been the role of Murray to keep the team afloat when Jokic sits, and frankly, it has been a big ask in recent years. Murray is a great player, but not necessarily a guy who can be a number one option, especially paired with the bench players that Denver has had.
But this season, the bench is totally revamped, and Murray doesn’t feel like he has to do everything when the three-time MVP takes a break. He has a true, solid, professional center in Val, but he also has shooting and defense up and down the rotation.
He also has other guys he can capably share the ball with, who can generate offense. We all remember how well Bruce Brown ran the show at times in the 2023 title run, we’ve seen Big Val run some offense from the high post, we’ve seen THJ go iso mode, and we’ve even seen Peyton Watson playing some point forward with positive results.
This is a new team, and while it’s going to take some time for everything to click, we’ve already seen a lot of positives. None may be more encouraging than the early play of Jamal Murray.