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Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray noted one player from the Los Angeles Clippers who can be the biggest difference maker ahead of the teams' playoff series.
Murray reflected on the Nuggets' upcoming first-round matchup with the Clippers on Wednesday. He gave recognition to Norman Powell, who has played a significant impact in Los Angeles' success throughout the 2024-25 regular season.
“I think Norm is super underrated. I’ve been liking his game since he was in Toronto. Super strong, gets downhill, he’s aggressive. If he misses three or four, it doesn’t waver his confidence, which is big. Obviously, he’s had big nights for them over the course of the season. I think he’s an X-factor for them,” Murray said.
“He’s someone that you can’t just let walk into threes or transition threes and just kind of find a rhythm. That makes everybody on the team’s job a little bit easier. So we’re going to treat him as one of the guys, too, and I’m going to do my best to limit his touches and his attempts.”
What's next for Jamal Murray, Nuggets
It is noteworthy for Jamal Murray to have that recognition for Norman Powell's game, having seen it since his start in the NBA.
Powell rose up the ranks as a solid role player with the Toronto Raptors, helping them win their first championship in 2019. After a brief stop at Portland, he has been with the Clippers since 2022.
The last two seasons saw Powell be in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year with his high-level production off the bench. This campaign had him become a full-time starter, which the Clippers benefitted from the decision since. Throughout 60 regular season games, he averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Powell presents himself as a player that Murray and the Nuggets must try to contain to the best of their ability. Doing so would give them a solid chance at winning the series, which will be difficult due to the fact that they have star cores that balance each other out.
Denver finished the regular season with a 50-32 record, taking the fifth seed in the Western Conference standings. They will look to make a deep playoff run after falling in Game 7 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the West Semis last year. It has been two years since their title run in 2023.
The Nuggets will prepare to begin their series against the Clippers at home. Game 1 will take place on April 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
