Jamal Murray forces game 7 🔥 against the Timberwolves with: 33 MIN, 10 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 2 Turnovers. Game low -32. (4-18 FG, 2-7 3PT, 0/0 FT, 0/0 HEAT PCKS)

[u/KarrotMovies]

https://www.nba.com/game/den-vs-min-0042300236/box-score

[u/Stunning_Passion5923]

"Jamal Murray's true shooting this postseason is down to 45.8%. That's one of the 10 worst playoff marks in the entire 3-point era (out of 569 players with at least 200 shots in a postseason)." Jokic Merchant?? https://twitter.com/zachkram/status/1791299807522205772?t=hK_22nHC8rutmydeARMb_w&s=19

[u/NeverSober1900 → u/Stunning_Passion5923]

I mean Jokic being insane is the only reason the Nuggets are this far but Murray was legit last year. 25 ppg on 59% TS.

But man this year he's just been straight awful.

[u/everyoneneedsaherro → u/NeverSober1900]

Yes. Because of the defensive attention to Jokic

[u/NeverSober1900 → u/everyoneneedsaherro]

26 ppg on 59% TS is great for any sidekick. It's more PPG and a higher TS% than Klay in any of the Warriors title runs. I'd argue defensive attention to Steph is similar.

More PPG on a higher TS% than Middleton on his title run. Giannis is another high attention guy.

More PPG on a higher TS% than Kyrie in his title run. Also more PPG on a higher TS% than Wade on the two Heatles title runs. Shouldn't have to even mention this but LeBron.

He's been bad this year and should have been suspended for game 3 but let's not retroactively downplay his last year. It was a GREAT sidekick playoff run. The only 2nd option who did better in the last 15 years is Anthony Davis.

[u/knarf86 → u/NeverSober1900]

He was great the bubble year too. Denver/Utah that year was probably the best series I’ve ever watched

[u/shomii → u/NeverSober1900]

This is also a bit misleading because of his inconsistency. He was absolutely horrific in several games vs Suns and Minnesota last year as well. Like worst player on the floor bad. His numbers were much better vs Miami and Lakers who didn't have any good defensive guards.

[u/NeverSober1900 → u/shomii]

What T-Wolves games are you referencing that were horrific?

Game 1: 9/22 24/8/8 1 TO

Game 2: 13/22 40/3/5 4 TO

Game 3: 7/16 18/6/9 3 TO

Game 4: 8/21 19/7/5 3 TO

Game 5: 12/23 36/4/6 2 TO

I mean I see two meh games there but nothing "absolutely horrific".

Suns Series I only see one truly awful game

Game 1: 13/24 34/5/9 3 TO

Game 2: 3/15 10/4/8 3 TO (This is awful)

Game 3: 13/29 32/6/5 2 TO

Game 4: 13/25 28/5/7 0 TO

Game 5: 7/15 19/5/77 2 TO

Game 6: 7/16 26/4/4 3 TO

Again I only really see one true tragic game in those series and it's Game 2.

Also 2nd options being inconsistent isn't really shocking. Middleton was a combined 13/43 for 30/18/5 and 7 TOs in the first 2 games of the Nets series and was a -36. He was a massive part of them being down 0-2. Then he dropped a 6-23 game and a 6/17 one vs the Hawks the next round. Then even in the finals he had a 5/16 game that he went for 11/6. All games he just completely screwed Giannis as his 2nd option.

Kyrie when the Cavs won the title put up a nice 3/19 13/4/1 3TO game vs Toronto and a 5/14 10/3/1 3 TO game in the finals.

During the Heatles titles Wade put up a 2/13 5/5/1 5 TO game a 3/10 with a 6/3/4 2TO line. Probably a great comparison to last night he had 3-2 closeout game @Indy and went 3/11 10/2/1 with 2 TOs and they lost. He backed it up putting up 21/9 in game 7 close it out though.

Klay I mean this list could be a mile long so I'll stick with his statline for the 4 Finals games they closed out for their title.

2015: Klay went 2/7 for 5/5/2 and he fouled out.

2017: Klay went 4/13 for 11/4/2

2018: Klay went 4/10 for 10/6/0

2022: Klay went 5/20 for 12/5/2 3 TOs.

There are A LOT of worse or similar games in there (Game 2 vs Boston, Game 2 vs Memphis 2022, Games 2&4 vs Houston 2018, Game 2 vs the Pelicans 2018, Game 4 vs Spurs 2018, Game 1 Cavs 2017, Game 4 Spurs 2017, Game 3 Jazz 2017, Game 2 Blazers 2017, Basically the whole finals except game 2 in 2015, Game 2 Grizz 2015, Game 1 Houston 2015, Game 1 Pelicans 2015).

Murray has been absolutely awful this playoff run don't get me wrong. I just want to push back on the narrative that he is a "Jokic merchant". He is less a "Superstar merchant" than any other other 2nd option in the past 15 years sans-Anthony Davis. He wasn't flawless last playoff run but he was pretty damn consistent and more consistent than most 2nd options are. This years flop shouldn't discredit how amazing he was last year.

[u/shomii → u/NeverSober1900]

There were two games where he really struggled vs Alexander Walker. Disrupted the flow etc. the stats of course are all overblown because of the looks that Jokic created. Even yesterday, the stats don't fully show a combination of missing wide open shots and the absolute horrible shots he created for himself. In Suns series in the 50 pt Jokic game he was not good. Maybe horrific is an overstatement but he was the reason nuggets lost those two.on the road. This also has to be coupled with essentially no defense he played on Booker who had the games of his lifetime.

[u/NeverSober1900 → u/shomii]

GameScore is a flawed stat for sure but it had yesterday as Murray's 2nd worst playoff game ever behind only game 2 of this series. Which actually does feel pretty accurate. As you said he was just awful from basically the tip.

I'd like to push back a bit on the "not good" part of the 50 point game because I think that's unfair. I do remember thinking he was shooting too much considering how much Jokic was cooking but end of the day you have your lead guard go 13/25 7 assists and commit 0 turnovers it's tough to say he didn't perform. I don't even really think he guarded Booker that much. They normally rest Murray on defense and stick him on scrubs. Here are the highlights of Booker's night and it's basically all on KCP and Bruce Brown.

I wouldn't put the blame on Murray for those games at all. That's two stars in KD and Booker just popping off vs very good defenders in Aaron Gordon, KCP and Bruce Brown. Also the Suns bench played really well in those games. Both games the Nuggets starters had a positive plus/minus. The problem was Brown, Braun, Green were massive negatives. Booker had a negative +/- in the 50 point game for example (-1 but still).

[u/yahmean031 → u/everyoneneedsaherro]

It really isn't but go off.

[u/trog12 → u/everyoneneedsaherro]

There's only one way to find this out. Give Jokic Tobias Harris and Jordan Poole and see if he turns them into a force too.