David Adelman knows he has one of the best playoff performers in the league

Jamal Murray has shown time and time again that he can rise to the occasion in the postseason, and Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman knows what he's going to get from his guard when it matters

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Apr 16, 2025, 1:37 PM Updated: 1:41 pm

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The Denver Nuggets don’t win the 2023 NBA Championship without the efforts of Jamal Murray. His clutch shotmaking and playmaking were vital alongside of Nikola Jokic to bring home the first title to the Mile High City. While his health has been a problem for multiple playoff runs, when he’s healthy, he elevates his game like no one else.

Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman knows that if Murray is on the court and healthy, he is the X-factor for Denver to make a deep run in the playoffs.

“We know what Jamal is in the playoffs,” Adelman said at Nuggets practice Wednesday. “He’s one of the all time greats. You can argue it.”

Murray missed the Nuggets playoff runs in 2021 and 2022 with a torn ACL, and was held back last year as he dealt with a calf strain that clearly bothered him throughout the Minnesota series. However, 2020 and 2023 showed the damage he can do when healthy.

In Murray’s regular season career, he’s averaged 18 points per game in eight seasons. In the four playoff runs he’s been a part of for Denver, that number has jumped up to 24.2 points per game. The 2023 Western Conference Finals highlighted how great he can be in the playoffs when he became the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 ppg on 50/40/90 shooting splits in a Conference Finals.

Murray’s performance in the NBA Bubble in the 2020 postseason, giving him the nickname of “Bubble Murray,” was the first taste of how much he is able to rise to the occasion when all the chips are on the table. He averaged 26.5 ppg on 50/45/89 splits, and joined an exclusive club of NBA scoring legends as he led the Nuggets to back-to-back series comeback from down three games to one.

Murray’s name has been a hot topic again in Denver, as he received a lucrative contract extension leading into the season despite a lackluster performance in the Western Conference Semifinals and the 2024 Olympic Games. He got off to a rough start offensively, but found his stride midway through the season en route to the best scoring season of his career. However, the injury issues down the stretch has raised questions on his ability to consistently stay healthy at the end of the year.

His playoff performances are why he got paid the big bucks, and now it’s time for him to show the world why he’s worth that money. Adelman has confidence in him to do so, and the Nuggets need him to if they want any chance of winning another championship.

Murray and the Nuggets will be in action on Saturday afternoon as they welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to town for Game 1 of the playoffs.