"I think he matured"- Nikola Jokic advised Jamal Murray to keep faith despite having a tough start to the 2022-23 NBA season
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are staking their claim as the best duo in the league after they led the Denver Nuggets to their maiden NBA finals. They are now one win away from winning it all. It's been a long journey, one filled with two consecutive postseasons on the sidelines for Murray due to an ACL injury.
Murray returned to action this season and has fortunately looked healthy. His presence has been integral to the Nuggets' success. It wasn't a fairytale start for him, though, something Jokic warned him when the season began. However, the two-time MVP also thought Murray would reach the level he's playing at, which we saw unfold right in front of our eyes.
During an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter ahead of the finals closeout Game 5, Jokic reflected on this whole process and lauded Murray for becoming more mature through this adversity, saying:
"I told him in the beginning of the season he's not gonna be good the first couple months. But now he's playing at the level I thought he was… I think he matured. The injury slowed him down but made him read the game better."
JokerMurray https://t.co/0ckBDDzTzU
Jamal Murray started the year with minute restrictions as he continued to find his rhythm and reconditioning. His averages were around the 13 to 15 points per game mark for the first two months, which increased to around 18 to 20 and even 25 for a brief stretch before it dipped again.
Nevertheless, come playoff time, Murray didn't hold back. So far, he has averaged 26.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per contest in the postseason, shooting on 48/40/93 clip.
Not only is he taking the scoring burden off of Nikola Jokic, but he's also sharing the playmaking workload. Akin to his Serbian teammate, Murray has allowed the game to come to him and found ways to involve others too.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray could be a dynasty duo
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray aren't just receiving consideration as the best duos currently. They are also in the conversation for the best duos of all time. They don't have multiple championships to show for it like other famous one-two punches, like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
However, they are likely to win their first and many more in the coming years. Jokic and Murray's chemistry and ability to implement a variety of actions offensively have made them unguardable.
They've gone up against two of the best defensive teams, like the LA Lakers and Miami Heat, but even those units couldn't figure out the Jokic-Murray two-man action.
Most assists in the 2023 playoffs:
186 – Nikola Jokic
134 – Jamal Murray
On pace to be the first duo that is top 2 in assists in a playoff run since 2001. https://t.co/P7w2gXOnCG
Both players can score on all three levels, have a size advantage in their own position and make plays at an efficient rate. They have the roster they need around them to succeed, and this could be the start of one of the NBA's newest dynasties.
Also read: "They are so connected on the court" - JJ Redick crowns Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray as the best duo in the NBA