Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray concocted an interesting parallel when describing his shot selection to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
Murray has established a flair for the dramatic–even teammate Nikola Jokic said that sometimes Murray will pass up an open look for a more challenging shot–but he says that repetition gives him confidence.
The former Kentucky standout even compared his repertoire to that of the Nuggets mascot, Rocky:
“Everybody says they are difficult shots, but if you practice ’em …” Murray said, interrupting his own thought to begin a gem of a new one. “Rocky shoots a half-court shot backwards with a mask on, and he makes it almost every single time. If you practice your shots and you believe in it, you can shoot a high percentage. Those are my spots.”
Murray might have all the confidence in the world, but his production has been relatively stagnant in comparison to last season. Murray is averaging fewer points per game (17.9) while shooting .333 percent from the arc after converting on nearly 37 percent of all three-pointers last year.
The Nuggets lack a true star to pair with Jokic, though Murray is still aiming to be that go-to scorer that can fully capture Jokic's playmaking abilities. Some more efficiency from beyond the arc would likely help matters, especially because the pair can be one of the best pick-and-roll combos in the NBA.
One area where Murray has shown noticeable improvement is on the defensive end. Murray is averaging 1.4 steals per game while also running a 104 defensive rating, according to Basketball Reference. Who knows, maybe Rocky can even give Murray some pointers to help him find his rhythm from the perimeter.
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