The Denver Nuggets offense slogged through the first 11 games of the season. There were a variety of factors that held the unit back, from sluggishness, to a slow start from superstar Nikola Jokic, to a higher frequency of midrange shots.
On Sunday evening against the Memphis Grizzlies, Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray decreed to the world that Denver would no longer struggle offensively.
Murray finished the game with 39 points on 14-of-24 from the field, including an outstanding 7-of-12 mark on three-pointers. The point guard added a pristine ratio of eight assists to zero turnovers, four rebounds, three steals, and one block in just three quarter, playing 31 minutes and looking like a legitimate star out there.
Murray began the game with nine straight points for the Nuggets and was clearly focused on aggressive scoring. He took it to Memphis rookie Ja Morant every chance he had, and the rookie didn’t have a chance against the cagey fourth year veteran.
There has been a common sentiment to start the year that the Nuggets aren’t shooting enough threes at this point in the season, but Murray shooting 12 of them in three quarters is a great way to balance out the floor. With Denver stuck in the mud a bit to start the year, Murray turning into a flamethrower helps open everything up for the rest of the team. It’s no surprise that Denver started hitting shots as Murray created good looks for himself and others.
Let’s see if this persists, because if it does, the Nuggets could have two All-Stars representing them this season.
