Jamal Murray names $90,000,000 guard as Clippers X-factor ahead of first-round matchup
Ahead of their first-round playoff series against the LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray had high praise for Norman Powell. During practice on Tuesday, Murray named the $90,000,000 Clippers guard, per Spotrac, as the X-factor for the team while lauding Powell's game.
"I think Norm (Powell) is super underrated," Jamal Murray said. "I think he’s an X-factor for them."
While the Clippers will be led by their stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, Norman Powell may be the difference-maker in the series, being one of the best third options in the NBA.
The 6-foot-4 guard is coming off one of his best regular seasons in his 10-year career, having averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 48.4% from the field, including 41.8% from beyond the arc.
The Clippers-Nuggets series is likely to be an intense battle, with the outcome expected to come down to how the supporting players of both teams can step up to the challenge. The fourth-seeded Nuggets have the home-court advantage as they host the fifth-seeded Clippers for Game 1 on Saturday.
Clippers expected to limit Jamal Murray's offensive output
The LA Clippers roster has many versatile defenders capable of disrupting opponents' offensive ability in various ways. This played a significant part in the team finishing the regular season with the third-best defensive rating in the league.
While Nikola Jokic's availability will always present the Denver Nuggets a chance to win any game, their success rate is higher when Jamal Murray is efficient as a secondary scorer. That's where the Clippers roster is capable of limiting Murray's offensive output, with Ivica Zubac on the interior and guys like Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. on the perimeter.
With that in mind, Murray's performance in the series can be crucial to its outcome. If they can limit his points to under 20 points per game, Clippers fans can be optimistic about their chances to advance to the next stage of the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets faced the LA Clippers four times in the regular season and won their final two matchups to even their season series at 2-2. Jamal Murray averaged 20.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 6.0 steals across the four games while shooting 52.7% from the field, including 52.4% from beyond the arc.
The Clippers finished their regular season with an eight-game winning streak and look to continue the hot streak into the postseason. Meanwhile, the Nuggets bounced back after firing their former head coach, Michael Malone, finishing 3-0 under their new coach.