During the NBA’s run through the Orlando Bubble, Jamal Murray solidified himself as one of the league’s rising stars. The Kentucky product helped lead the Denver Nuggets past the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the postseason despite falling down 3-1 in each series.
Over 19 games in the 2020 playoffs, Murray averaged 26.5 points on 50.5% shooting from the field with 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per contest. During the Disney World postseason, Nuggets wing shot 45.3% from beyond the arc on 7.2 long-distance attempts.
In the Nuggets’ game seven tilt against Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers, the 23-year-old exploded for 40 points on 15-of-26 shooting from the field with six 3-pointers.
After being eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Murray joined Ashley Nevel for an interview on YouTube. During his conversation with Nevel, the 23-year-old revealed his toughest matchup to line up against the in the NBA. Murray listed a pair of reasons why Stephen Curry is his hardest player to guard in the NBA.
Via Ashley Nevel on YouTube:
Steph [Curry] is really hard to guard. One, because of his shot. Two, because you don’t know what he’s going to do. You don’t know if he’s just going to pull it. You don’t know if he’s going to just end up going by you — he’s going to cross you over six times and then shoot and look away. You have absolutely no clue what he’s going to do. I would have to go with him.
Watch Nevel’s full interview with Murray here.
Through Murray’s career, the Nuggets have lined up against Curry and the Golden State Warriors 10 times. During that span, the two-time Most Valuable Player registered 30 points in four contests. The Warriors hold a 7-3 record against the Nuggets since Denver drafted Murray in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft.
With the six-time All-Star ready to return to Steve Kerr’s rotation in 2020-21, the Warriors are expected to make a run back to the postseason. After their streak to the Conference Finals in 2020, Curry and Golden State will have to go through Murray, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the mission back to the top of the West.