Jamal Murray played a key role in the Denver Nuggets advancing to the second-round of the postseason. He hit two game-winners, helping his team defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in just five games. Murray averaged 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in the series. He shot 40.0% from the field, 29.4% from three-point range and 85.7% from the free-throw line.
His performance comes after helping lead the Nuggets to their first championship in franchise history in 2022-23. Murray averaged 26.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 7.1 apg, 1.5 spg and 0.3 bpg on 47.3/39.6/92.6% shooting splits. Chris Broussard believes that if Denver repeats, the eighth-year guard will be a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. Speaking on First Things First, he stated:
I don’t feel like he’s a superstar, but here’s the weird thing – if they win the championship this year, he’s a Hall of Famer. All-Star berths, be darned, because one of the reasons he hasn’t made an All-Star Team yet – one, he’s had some injuries so he’s been out [and] two, the West is just so deep with guards.
Would another title solidify Jamal Murray as a Hall of Famer?
While having two championships on his resume would be great for Jamal Murray’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame case, it is difficult to consider him a lock – even if the Denver Nuggets do repeat as champions. Murray has never been named to an All-Star Team or All-NBA Team. There are just 13 players who have been inducted to the Hall of Fame without an All-Star appearance. The group consists exclusively of players who made their contributions overseas, in the ABA, or before the 1960s.
Michael Cooper will join the list this summer. While he will be the first player who does not meet the aforementioned criteria, he has the accolades – 1987 Defensive Player of the Year and eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections – to go with his five championship rings.
Murray has performed at an elite level in the postseason. In 58 career games, he is averaging 24.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. He has shot 46.5% from the field, 39.5% from three-point range and 90.6% from the free-throw line. Despite this, his regular season numbers are much less worthy of induction. He has averaged 17.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.0 spg and 0.3 bpg on 45.2/38.0/86.7% shooting splits.
While Broussard’s assessment about his injuries and the talent of Western Conference guard’s are both correct, it is difficult to make the case that Murray has been deserving of an All-Star appearance at any point of his eight-year career. It is additionally difficult to make the case that a player who was not ever among the top-24 players in the league is deserving of the Hall of Fame.
Another championship would certainly bolster his case, however, it would not solidify it. Fortunately for Murray, he is just 27 years old and has plenty of time to add to his resume. He will likely need some accolades – to go with his championship ring – to earn induction to the Hall of Fame.
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