Jamal Murray jumps 33 spots in NBA player rankings, into top-20

Jamal Murray was remarkable for the Denver Nuggets in last year’s NBA playoffs, and those who cover the league are noticing.

In ESPN’s annual NBA player rankings, Murray was voted the 17th best player in the league by a panel of nearly 150 reporters, editors, producers and analysts. He was No. 50 before the 2022-23 season.

While Nikola Jokic was simply unreal in the postseason, Murray wasn’t far behind. He averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds over 20 games against the Timberwolves, Suns, Lakers and Heat. Denver went 16-4 on the way to their first-ever NBA title.

Next up for Murray will hopefully be an elusive All-Star selection, along with potentially making an All-NBA team. Now that he’s on everyone’s radar, if he keeps it up in the regular season, both look to be attainable.

Elsewhere on the roster, Michael Porter Jr. was ranked No. 68 in the NBA, moving up four spots from No. 72. Aaron Gordon, like Murray, made a huge leap. He’s the 51st best player in the league according to the voters, skyrocketing from 83rd before last season.

ESPN will reveal the top-10 on Thursday, and it’s largely expected superstar center and NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic will be ranked first. In an anonymous GM survey earlier this week, the league’s top decision makers admitted he’s the best player on Earth.

After what he did in the playoffs, nearly averaging a triple-double (30 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 9.5 APG), it’s a no-brainer to put Jokic in the No. 1 spot.

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