Jamal Murray’s pristine playmaking has him favored to finish with more NBA Finals assists than Nikola Jokic
In the current NBA pantheon, there might not be a better pure passer than Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets big man has a keen sense of pacing, a fabulous touch, and simply sees more angles at his 6-foot-11 height than a “traditional” point guard. It also helps that he knows how to bend the rules. Jokic’s overall versatility has been the main catalyst toward the Nuggets sitting one away from their first NBA title in franchise history.
But, even with Jokic potentially in line for an NBA Finals MVP, his teammate Jamal Murray might be shining more as a passer in Denver’s championship series against the Miami Heat. Through four games, Murray has recorded at least 10 assists on each occasion. Per ESPN Stats & Info, that distinction makes Murray the first player in NBA history to notch at least 10 assists in four straight Finals games.
Game 4, in particular, was a masterclass for Murray. With the Heat zeroed in on the point guard’s scoring ability, Murray focused on creating for his Nuggets teammates — to the tune of a pristine 12-assist, zero-turnover effort.
Now, with Denver in line for the NBA title on Monday evening, Murray ironically has a massive 10-assist lead on Jokic. As such, oddsmakers with FanDuel Sportsbook are understandably making Murray a heavy favorite to finish with more Finals assists than someone with the reputation of the best passer in the league.
None of this is to discredit Murray or say he isn’t worthy. This entire postseason has been a de facto second coming-out party for Murray after tearing his ACL two years ago. He’s morphed into a bona fide star and, at the age of 26, seems destined to be one of half of the NBA’s new best duo for a long time.
That Murray is officially creating as much — if not more — quality offense as Jokic is an excellent development for Denver. It means they have two enviable, unselfish superstars who know how to get buckets and get everyone else involved.
Everything in these Finals and perhaps the future is coming up Nuggets,