Could the Denver Nuggets notch a pair of All-Stars this year, for the first time in three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic’s Hall of Fame tenure?
The biggest knock on the 6-foot-11 superstar’s Denver run has been that his front office hasn’t quite equipped him with Hall of Fame-caliber colleagues — excluding a far-past-his-prime Russell Westbrook, who by 2024-25 was a minimum-salaried reserve.
With Denver adding significant depth this summer, the team could rocket back to the top of the Western Conference. A better record and some injury luck to the club’s best players could help Jokic finally gain an All-Star contemporary on the Nuggets, opines Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.
Could Jamal Murray break through this year?
Aschburner notes that point guard Jamal Murray, who has been a bubble All-Star for years as one of the league’s more prolific backcourt players, seems to be one of the likeliest candidates to break through and become an All-Star for the first season this year.
The 6-foot-4 Kentucky product has averaged 20 or more points for each of the past four seasons. In 67 healthy games for the 50-32 Nuggets last year, Murray averaged 21.4 points on .474/.393/.886 shooting splits, 6.0 dimes, 3.9 boards, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.
Murray, it turns out, has some competition as a 20-point scorer who can’t get any All-Star respect.
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“It might surprise some that Murray isn’t anywhere close to the gold standard for 20-point scorers who haven’t sniffed All-Star appreciation,” Aschburner notes. “Actually, CJ McCollum has 10 such seasons to Murray’s four, while never earning an invitation.”
At this stage, while stuck on the Washington Wizards, the 34-year-old McCollum’s All-Star window may be closed for good.
Murray’s title-winning pedigree, past postseason scoring glories, and — yes — an improved roster around him could help elevate him enough to get his first All-Star nod.
“But Murray is a renowned playoff riser, owns a championship ring and has a teammate, Jokic, who has been Denver’s solo All-Star all seven times he’s gone,” Aschburner adds. “If the Nuggets’ offseason remodeling pays off, Murray might thrive enough to join the Joker.”
This summer, Denver traded starting small forward Michael Porter Jr. in exchange for cheaper, better two-way combo forward Cam Johnson, traded to acquire backup center Jonas Valanciunas, and signed veteran guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown.
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