Denver coach Michael Malone believes former UK guard Jamal Murray is now one of the elite guards in the NBA. (Denver Nuggets Photo)
Jamal Murray was a late signee for Kentucky before the 2016-16 season started after he had scored 30 points in the Nike Hoop Summit and earned MVP honors. The Canadian had a fabulous freshman season and was picked seventh in the 2016 NBA draft by Denver, the team he now is playing for in the NBA Finals.
On April 12, 2021, Murray suffered a torn ACL and did not play in another game until Oct. 19, 2022 — a span of 18 months. However, he’s not worried about the past.
“I’m not thinking about whether I’m back or not. I’ve been back since the day I came back. It’s just about trending in the right direction and continuously getting better,” Murray said during his team’s sweep of the Lakers that put it in the NBA Finals against Miami. “I had some ups and downs during the season, some sore days where I couldn’t play, and those sucked.
“Played my first back-to-back (games) in January or something like that. It’s just been trending. Every month I feel my knee get better and more solid and more consistent in the way it’s going to feel. Wo just to be here and be playing this many minutes at this time has been — we’ve prepared for this. I’m just glad I put the work in during the rehab to be able to perform and be at my best.”
His best has been really good. He averaged 22.8 points, 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in the sweep of LA and shot 38 percent from 3. He averaged 20 points per game during regular-season play but is averaging 27.7 points per game in 15 postseason games.
“I mean, once he gets going, it’s kind of hard to turn him off,” NBA star LeBron James said. “We watched one clip where we allowed him to see the ball go in because we didn’t match up in transition. Jamal is one of those guys in our league that if you — he’ll run off 20 in a quarter or 30 in a half.
“Everyone in our league knows that, especially when he gets going and he gets to bouncing and shooting the 3-ball, shooting the mid-range, posting up smaller guards. He can score at all three levels of the game — from the paint, from the free throw line and also from the three-point line. You tip your hat. He’s a hell of a player.”
Murray said he does not play as “rushed” as he did before his injury and is a more willing passer if he’s in a “bad spot” on the floor.
“Getting to watch the game from afar for a couple seasons or a season and two postseasons helped me,” the former UK star said.
Denver coach Michael Malone said Murray’s biggest improvement this year was just being healthy.
“Getting over the mental hurdle of reminding myself, I can get back to not just a level I was at in the bubble, but how do I surpass that?” Malone said. “I remember being on the bus with him, going to the airport after he did the injury in Golden State the next day and he had tears in his eyes. That was the message, ‘Hey, man, you’re going to come back from this, and not only are you going to come back, you’re going to be better.’
“In that moment, that’s really hard to believe that. His first thought was, ‘Man, are you guys going to trade me?’ Really that was his — I am damaged goods. Are you going to trade me now? I hugged him, I said, ‘Hell no, you’re ours. We love you. We’re going to help you get back, and you’re going to be a better player for it.’
“I think what he’s doing in these playoffs is just a reminder of a guy that we drafted seven years ago that has continued to find ways to improve and really show out on the biggest stage in the world.”
Malone knew the Nuggets had a gem in Murray who is now more than just an elite scorer.
“His scoring, his play-making, his rebounding, as well as his defense, and when he’s doing all of those things on a consistent basis, to me, he’s one of the best guards in the entire league,” the Denver coach said.
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And Cal still managed to lose to Tom Crean coached Indiana with Murray 😂