For years, Nikola Jokic has been the steady force in Denver, the player who set the tone night after night and rarely drifted from that standard. But with the Nuggets’ early-season rhythm still settling in, Jamal Murray has stepped into the spotlight and looked like the one carrying the load.
Through 10 games, Murray has been on a heater that feels different from the versions of him Denver has seen before. He’s averaging a career-high 26.2 points, along with a career-high 5.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. The shooting numbers are even louder: 50.5% from two and a wild 51.3% from three on a career-high 7.8 attempts per game.
That opening-night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder still sits inside the sample, and it was a rough one - Murray finished with 6 points, 3 assists and just one three-point attempt. Take that game away, though, and the picture gets even sharper. In the other nine games, he’s scored 30 or more points five times.
The scoring surge is only part of what stands out. Murray’s defensive work has been just as noticeable.
He wasn’t known as a defender for much of his career, and last season was a difficult one on that end. But after calling out Denver’s defense on Media Day, he’s backed it up with real effort: chasing shooters, fighting inside, drawing offensive fouls, helping on the glass and staying active possession after possession.
The numbers reflect that shift. With Murray on the floor, the Nuggets are allowing a 114.1 defensive rating.
When he sits, that number jumps to 122.8, per DataBallr. Last season, Denver posted a 119.7 defensive rating with Murray on the court, so the improvement has been significant.
What makes this version of Murray so interesting is how much of it has come without the explosive athletic edge he once had. He was a more dynamic athlete earlier in his career, and that helped fuel the scoring explosions that defined his Bubble run. A torn ACL about nine months later changed the path of his career and cost Denver two more playoff runs with that version of Murray.
When he returned, it took time to find his footing again, but he got back to form in time to help the Nuggets win the 2023 championship. He followed that by shredding the Los Angeles Lakers with a huge scoring display and then handling the Miami Heat as a true dual-threat point guard.
The last three years have brought more swings. Injuries wrecked his 2024 playoff run, and a flawed team ran into a dominant Oklahoma City squad in 2025.
Then came 2026, when Murray became an All-Star and All-NBA player for the first time in the regular season. That season showed his commitment from day one, even if the playoffs ended badly and left a sour taste for everyone involved.
This season, though, Murray has answered that disappointment by focusing on what he can control. He’s playing better. A lot better.
The way he’s doing it now is less about raw burst and more about craft. Murray is still an athlete, but not the kind who can simply outrun everyone anymore.
So he’s squeezed improvement out of effort and skill. He’s fighting through contact, keeping his feet active on defense instead of reaching, and staying engaged on both ends.
On offense, he’s become almost surgical. Murray’s love for UFC and his relationship with Alexander Volkanovski fit the way he plays: leverage, setup, counter, repeat.
He uses stepbacks, hesitations, wrong-foot finishes and other manipulations to create the space he needs. Where he once relied more on speed and lift, he’s now winning with timing, touch and reads.
It’s still early, but Murray has given Denver exactly what it needed and then some. And with the rest of the team still sorting through the ups and downs of the 2026-27 season, he’s been the one who has started on time.
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Watson, meanwhile, has had a rougher start in Cleveland, where the shooting efficiency just has not followed him yet. For Denver, the early returns are encouraging not only because Johnson is fitting the on-court need, but because the front office also created more financial breathing room for the seasons ahead, a detail that could matter just as much once the roster starts getting expensive again. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team that has had to squeeze every bit of production out of the edges of its rotation, the appeal is easy to see. The proposal also comes with a financial angle that matters in Denver, since moving off Zeke Nnaji and attaching future draft capital would be part of the cost of making the numbers work. It is the kind of speculative deal that will split opinion, because the Nuggets would be betting on fit and function rather than proven impact. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Is Rolling As Nuggets Keep Juggling The Back End
Jamal Murray has been doing his part to steady Denver while the Nuggets continue sorting out the back end of the roster. The guards recent play has drawn attention around the league, and with the team still managing depth decisions, the focus in Denver has stayed on keeping the rotation balanced and the supporting pieces ready when called upon.
That backdrop got a little busier when three Nuggets were sent to the G League, another reminder that the team is still juggling personnel even as Murray keeps rolling. For a club trying to stay sharp through the grind, the challenge is less about one hot stretch than finding enough consistency behind it, and that makes every move on the margins worth watching. [Read more 🡒]