The Denver Nuggets backcourt duo of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris have arrived, now slated in the top-50 of ESPN's latest Top-100 NBA players ranking for the 2018-19 season.
Murray, who ranked 45th after going unranked last season, battled for the starting point guard spot, leaving Emmanuel Mudiay to come off the bench and ultimately traded to the New York Knicks.
The Canadian shot much more efficiently from all areas of the court, including a glistening 90.5 percent from the foul line in only his second season in the league.
“On the only team to miss last year's playoffs yet tout its entire starting five among this year's top 75 players, Murray is the swing piece. He isn't a proven shot creator yet, but he has filled in the other aspects of his offensive game well around a savant center and other playmakers. Murray's biggest area for improvement: Shaky defense against opposing point guards, which can lead to him neutralizing his growing offensive contributions.”
Harris came in at 43rd this year after barely cracking the Top-100 list last year at the 90th spot, the massive skyrocket in rank was due to his breakout season as Nikola Jokic's scoring partner, putting up 17.5 points per game on 48.5 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from deep, along with 1.8 steals per game, which have solidified him as a bona fide two-way player.
While Jamal Murray and Gary Harris have yet to grow their all-around game to its full extent, the best is yet to come for this young partnership, now brimming with confidence after some key tweaks during this offseason.
Follow Us
Subscribe