Upon dropping his best performance of the season for the Denver Nuggets, Jamal Murray offered a simple message to his critics.
Following his season-high 34 points in 12-of-21 shooting to lead the Nuggets’ 134-121 Saturday win against the Detroit Pistons, Murray let it be known that he’ll continue to fend off the hate in the midst of the negativity and backlash surrounding his name.
“We haven’t been amazing, but everybody’s starting to finally click. Everybody’s starting to be more comfortable,” Murray said, who also added 5 boards and five assists to contribute to the victory. “I wouldn’t say it’s not just me, like, for me, I would love to make shots every night. I strive to make shots every night. But I can still try to impact the game without making shots. And I’m saying, I try to pride myself off that.
“So if you know, people are going to talk about me not making shots so be it, I know what I’m capable of I know what I do. And there’s a reason why I’m here, and there’s a reason why I’ve been able to win with this team and be here for years and be able to develop chemistry and all that.”
Murray has been a receiver of constant criticisms all throughout this 2024-25 season for his inconsistencies and perceived failure to step up his game as the main star running mate of reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic.
Heading to the weekend game against the Pistons, Murray is averaging 19.2 points while shooting 43.3 percent from the field — his lowest efficiency since his rookie season. He is also registering a career-worst 2.3 turnovers across 23 games thus far this year.
There were instances from November to early December when Murray suddenly became passive in his approach, contradicting well-known offensive aggressiveness and frequent take over as the team’s second go-to scorer.
The bashing stems from the fact as well that Murray secured the long-term commitment of the Nuggets, obtaining a lucrative $208 million max extension for four years. Many have gone critical of the Canadian star for not living up enough to this massive deal.
Nevertheless, Murray stands eager that he’s ready to deliver in the wake of the roaring outside noise tackling his general season performance.
“I just let people talk,” Murray added. “That’s what they do. That’s the reason why people are over there, and I’m over here.”
Beyond head coach Michael Malone, no other person within the Denver Nuggets has placed the strongest faith in Murray to respond to the adversities.
As such, Malone will always take a bold stand for those who dare to criticize the Nuggets star.
“I know that everybody’s really riding Jamal really hard right now. That’s not going to do him any favors, man,” Malone said. “The guy cares. He wants to play better. He wants to help this team. His heart is in the right place.
“Supporting him will go a long way. That’s why I tell guys ‘Don’t look at the damn phone.’ I don’t give a damn what you guys say about me, and he shouldn’t either.”
Their weekend bout against the Pistons has offered Murray new beginnings to redeem himself, and he can only aim to further stretch this once he and the Nuggets hit the road to face the Jazz in Utah on Monday.
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