Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was named an All-Star for the 1st time in his 9 seasons.
DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray earned his first career All-Star berth in his ninth NBA season Sunday.
“When I saw that, so many things went through my mind, just multiple 50-point games, multiple 50-point games in the playoffs,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said ahead of Denver’s showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Let’s see, triple-double in the Finals, NBA champion, most wins in the West over the last 10 years, he’s the point guard of that team, 55-point (game) last year, (career-high) 17 assists (in a game) this year, NBA All-Star,” Adelman added. So, in my mind, all of those things make sense, except for the one that was missing.”
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Murray was the seventh overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft out of Kentucky.
Murray and Nikola Jokić, who was named a starter last week, are the first pair of Nuggets teammates selected to an All-Star Game since 2010 when Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups both made it.
This year’s All-Star Game is at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, next weekend.
Murray, 28, is averaging career highs in points (25.8), shooting percentage (49.2), 3-point percentage (44.7), rebounds (4.3) and assists (7.4) this season while leading the Nuggets through an injury epidemic that has sidelined Jokić, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, and Jonas Valančiūnas, among others.
Murray helped the Nuggets navigate the loss of Jokić for 16 games during which they went a surprising 10-6 to keep pace in the Western Conference.
Last month, Murray won Western Conference Player of the Week (Dec. 8) honors for the first time in his career, and he and Jokić are two of the five NBA players averaging 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds per game.
Murray showed up to training camp in better physical shape this year, and Adelman said he also arrived with a sharper mind.
“Your body is at its best when it’s not just the physical part, it’s your mind,” Adelman said. “And he’s played the game so clean. … I think it’s his body, but I also think it’s his mind. He’s just not fighting anything, he’s just playing. And the guy’s so talented, when he takes what’s given to him, so much success can happen.
“Everything about him this year has been really fun to watch and watching him grow up and to have this moment for him, long time coming and he’ll represent our team well in Los Angeles.”
