The Denver Nuggets opened the season with a 1-1 record, though they could've easily been 2–0 if Stephen Curry hadn't reminded everyone across the league why he's arguably a top-10 player of all time. The Nuggets fell to the Golden State Warriors in overtime, despite Nikola Jokic 's triple-double, Aaron Gordon 's career-high 50 points and Jamal Murray's 25-point double-double.
But against the Phoenix Suns , the Nuggets bounced back in front of their home crowd, and the Canadian guard once again put on great performance, putting up 23 points, six rebounds and five assists while shooting 8-of-17 from the field. After the game, he spoke to the media about his strong start to the season.
"That's why I wanted to come out and have a good November. October — whatever it is," Murray said after the game in Ball Arena.
Even though last year he posted a career high with 21.4 points on 47.4 percent shooting from the field — great numbers considering he is sharing the court with Jokic , who remains Denver's primary offensive option — there's always been a sense that the 6-foot-4 guard has another level to reach.
At the end of the day, we're talking about a player who ranks in the top three all-time for the biggest scoring increase from the regular season to the playoffs — an incredible 5.7-point jump. It's clear Murray has all the tools to become an All-Star, but he's always been a player who heats up as the season progresses.
However, judging by his mindset and his early performances, those days may be behind him. In fact, this version of the 2023 NBA champion was already hinted at in the preseason, when Denver insider Vic Lombardi said we should expect big things from Murray this year .
"I've watched Jamal Murray closely in this preseason and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, he looks sooo much more athletic, energetic, and engaged ," Lombardi wrote on X.
After a long recovery from his ACL injury and a demanding summer representing Team Canada at the 2024 Olympics, Murray didn't have a full offseason to recharge. Entering the new campaign fatigued and worn down, he looked sluggish early last year, which led to waves of criticism.
Although that's understandable, he just turned 28 and is entering what should be his athletic prime. The 2021 injury clearly left a mark on his rhythm and confidence during a stretch when he was playing the best regular-season basketball of his career.
While the sample size of two games is small, averages of 24.0 points, 7.5 assists, and two steals on 51.4 percent shooting from the field clearly indicate that Murray feels great and is finally ready to prove he belongs among the NBA's elite by earning his first All-Star appearance.
All of this should be great news for David Adelman, who was on the brink of taking down the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder , last season after seven grueling playoff games, with Murray just coming off an illness and clearly struggling to find his rhythm.
If Murray manages to maintain this level of consistency throughout the entire season, and if injuries stay away, the team from Colorado will have significantly better chances of reclaiming the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
