Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jamal Murray’s contract extension plus other Nuggets notes

The Denver Nuggets extended Jamal Murray’s contract. It’s a hefty four-year, $208 million deal at age 27. While never receiving All-Star honors, he may be the no.1 veteran player in the NBA without it on his résumé because of his Playoff work.

He has been one of the most accurate snipers over the past five seasons. Considering Murray’s status as the team’s second-best player and how key pieces have left in the past two summers (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green), the group will need his highest attendance since 2018-19 and the top efficiency of his career. 

This deal needed to get done, despite Murray not looking like himself while playing for Team Canada in the Olympics and laboring through a calf injury in the postseason. When he is healthy, the Blue Arrow is one of the top guards in the league because of his elusiveness, post-game, ball protection, strength and deep jumper. 

Last season, 66.3% of Murray’s two-pointers were logged without the help of a teammate. The other Nuggets assisted on 60% of his trifectas. This is a premium because it takes pressure off the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokić, from creating something through a handoff or absorbing a double team.

Additionally, he spent 63.8% of his time checking guards on defense, holding them 41.8% shooting, per the NBA’s matchup data. 

His connection with Jokić makes them the best duo in the league, too. Losing half of that down the line would have been devastating. In Nuggets all-time Playoff history, Murray is fifth in rebounding (318), fourth in steals (72), second in minutes (2,522), second in points (1,571), second in assists (401) and first in 3-point makes (172). Don’t forget the countless big-time moments, either. 

Another reason the deal was important: Jokić is at his apex and shouldn’t have to carry the group through another season without a no.2 option. He had to in 2021-22, resulting in his second MVP crown. But the Nuggets tasted champagne in June 2023—strong regular seasons won’t cut it anymore as long as the generational center is on board.

Furthermore, the Nuggets need elevated accuracy from Murray at the rim. Only 16.6% of his attempts came there last season, but he made 65.2%, which is slightly below average. 

And when Jokić sits, he needs to get more out of his teammates. Twenty-and-a-half of his passes went to the Serbian, but next on the list was Aaron Gordon at 5.8 and Michael Porter Jr. at 4.8 feeds per game. Keep in mind, AG converted 52.6% of his two-pointers on Murray’s passes, and MPJ made 43% of his trays. Yet, these dishes aren’t resulting in enough field goal attempts. The Nuggets’ offense- 11th in total feeds and third in assists- could be a factor, but he needs a secondary go-to partner. 

Christian Braun needs a third-year leap:

Murray said Braun was his project in April because the vet has high expectations for his teammate who is likely the starting shooting guard. The latter is entering his third season, a pivotal one for himself and the Nuggets.

At this point, he is a durable release valve. Braun made 37.7% of his catch-and-shoot triples in 2023-24 and over two-thirds of his twos were assisted. 

Adding to his offensive arsenal and emerging as the point-of-attack pest is essential. His accuracy drops significantly on attempts with at least two dribbles or more. This needs to improve because the Nuggets need another dribble threat to get to the rim so Murray and Jokić don’t get burnt out.  

On defense, he will likely get put on the other team’s best perimeter player since KCP left for the Orlando Magic. This role will require constant communication plus will use lots of his energy. It’s one of the most consequential jobs on the squad.

What can Russell Westbrook bring?:

The backup point guard role is locked up by a former MVP (2016-17) with plenty of juice left. He’s not as fast as he used to be, but still quicker than most. He’ll be a transition weapon after grabbing a defensive rebound or when catching a pass from Jokić while running a vertical route. 

In 2023-24, Westbrook was still creating separation,  generating 6.9 paint points, which was a higher average than All-Stars (Damian Lillard), Tyrese Haliburton (6.5), Stephen Curry (5.9) and Paul George (5.6).  Also 1.7 of his digits came on the break.

Presumably, Westbrook and Murray’s minutes will be staggered since the former’s deep and mid-range jumper is not dependable. Opponents can sag off Westbrook and trap the pass. 

Westbrook is capable of playing well on defense but has gambling habits. If they persist, he won’t be a consistent option late in matches. 

Yet, his experience, work ethic, and leadership qualities make him a positive influence on the Nuggets’ young, developing players, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther. 

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