Every season the draft brings a fresh infusion of talent to the NBA. In theory this is an even, steady process. In practice, hindsight and historical perspective show that there are borders and boundaries — talent doesn’t just arrive in the NBA, it arrives in generational waves. Sometimes we can’t see these aesthetic dividing lines for decades, sometimes you simply can’t miss them.
The present day NBA appears to be on the cusp of welcoming a remarkable new generation to its forefront — players who are not just incredible but incredibly unique. Players who will not just excel but transform the roles and responsibilities of basketball players as we understand them. Over the course of this week, The Step Back will be examining many of the players who could figure prominently in The Next Generation. Not every player we turn our attention to is destined to be a star, but all could play a role in defining the future of the NBA. Read the whole series here.
The Next Generation: Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray is not afraid of the moment. He’s here to take and make the big shot, and to bask in the glory that comes with it. That’s not something you can just grow into, so luckily for Murray he already possesses that kind of performer’s swagger in abundance.
Whether it’s attributable to his experience of coming into the NBA with big program experience from Kentucky, or an inherent belief in himself, Murray has already started to look perfectly at home in a league filled with players who would — and arguably should — faze most rookies.
The best example of this to date arrived when Murray and his Nuggets squared off with the defending champion Warriors on Feb. 13. Having lost their two previous matchups with the team from the Bay Area this season, something clicked for Denver on this occasion. Scrapping just to make the playoffs, the young up-and-comers found their groove, proving that they’re one of very few teams with the attitude required to give Golden State even a small taste of their own medicine. Albeit if that’s only on the nights when everything goes right.
Read More: Next Generation — Karl-Anthony Towns is coming for all of us
The Nuggets started strong, settling into a rhythm early on, but it was the insertion of Murray just over halfway through the first quarter that really set the tone for the rest of what was to come. Less than 30 seconds after entering the game, Murray drained a wide-open triple from the corner and gave an airing to the trademark ‘blue arrow‘ celebration that he became associated with in college.
When it comes to Golden State, celebrating, taunting, and in effect poking the beast can be a dangerous business, but Murray was only getting started.
Still working with a moderate role in the rotation at the time, the 20-year-old played this particular game with a different focus. It was visible in his play and his demeanor that he’d picked out a target in the storied blue and yellow jerseys of the opposition, and because Jamal Murray is not your average rookie, that target just so happened to be the two-time reigning MVP and arguably the greatest shooter of all-time.
Even at such a young age and early juncture in his career, Murray understood exactly how to beat Stephen Curry. Quite simply, he just turned a mirror around on the league’s most famous point guard. Curry must have recognized the smooth and sudden feint into a backdoor cut that left him stuck in the mud as Murray dropped in a simple layup.
Likewise, there could be no mistaking the quick dribble in, dribble out, pull up in your face 3-pointer that Murray let fly over his head in the game’s third quarter.
When comments from Mark Jackson in 2015 set off a wave of the more conservative and traditional NBA watchers expressing their concern about the influence an influx of Curry imitators would have on the game, many were quick to point out the concern as being a little too presumptuous. To have to worry about a whole host of players gleefully bouncing up and down the court knocking down long shot after long shot meant believing these were some kind of every day skills that would regularly surface.
Beyond Curry’s skill, there’s also his attitude. Not everyone is going to be able to match that level of assured self-belief, but at the very least, Murray can. That’s why just over the halfway point of his first year in the NBA, Murray is already coming into his own, and already undergoing a transformation of sorts. ESPN’s Zach Lowe has written about the ‘caffeinated joy‘ that comes with watching Murray.
"“Murray is not shy, including in demanding the ball when he’s open. But there is no Dion Waiters-esque greed in his requests, or shoulder-sagging despair if a Nugget teammate doesn’t oblige. Murray is just so damn excited to be open, he can’t help but express himself. He jumps, and claps, and hollers — and if no one sees him, he’ll zoom someplace else where he might spring open again.”"
It’s by virtue of Murray’s ability to ‘zoom’ around the floor at breakneck speed that his coach and teammates already seem prepared to place an increasing level of trust in the young Canadian. Having left college with question marks over which guard position he’d play as a pro, Murray started the year at the two spot, but has already been given a taste of point guard duties when injury required him to step up.
Concerns over his playmaking ability in a traditional sense should have quickly subsided as a result. Although Murray doesn’t necessarily operate using classic floor general fundamentals, he understands the exceptional gifts he possesses, and how to utilize them to the benefit of others in the modern game.
Murray’s quick first step forces opponents into constant decisions. If a defender sags off him, he’ll trigger his quick release and knock down a shot before they’ve even managed to raise their hand to contest. On the other hand, if the defender tries to contain him, Murray initiates a direct style of driving attack to create openings for those spacing the floor around him.
If the 3-point revolution has made the NBA an inside-out league, Murray’s style of penetration and kicking out is tailor-made to create effective scoring opportunities.
Already showing signs of a strong understanding of the pick-and-roll — and its pick-and-pop variation — alongside dual threat teammate Nikola Jokic, Murray boasts the core skills needed for him to thrive as a creator. His abilities aren’t limited to that particular approach either, and his coach Mike Malone remains reluctant to pigeon hole the young guard.
"“When we drafted him we realized he had the capabilities of being a true combo guard, play off the ball play on the ball. Even when he’s out there as a point guard, I put the ball in Will Barton’s hands quite a bit to let him play off the ball because he’s just as effective. So, I think that’s the real luxury of having a guy like Jamal Murray; whether he has the ball in his hands or he’s spacing the floor, he’s always a threat.”"
That seems like the right approach, too. Although defensively Murray will be required to guard one of the two positions at any given time, a free role may suit him best when it comes to maximizing his offensive repertoire.
The off-the-ball threat that Malone mentions manifests in a couple of different ways. Most obviously, Murray is dangerous from distance. Having shot 40.8 percent from behind the arc in college, Murray has had his share of struggles since turning pro, shooting only 32.8 percent on 3-pointers this season. Don’t let the below-average percentage fool you, though, Murray has no problem at all with the NBA range, and with a smooth, quick and repeatable stroke seems set to develop more reliably sooner rather than later.
Already, given the time and space to set himself, Murray displays little hesitation or difficulty in making opposing defenses pay. What could really set him apart and likely already draws extra attention his way is his ability to explode into his shot, though. With the confidence Murray already possesses, once he sees the ball go through the net a first time, he won’t hesitate to drain audacious shots at the sight of even half an opening.
Not only can the Ontario native shoot and distribute, but he possesses an explosive turn of pace and athleticism that will further set him apart from many of his peers. Extending beyond just raw physical gifts and explosive speed, Murray has already demonstrated a strong understanding of movement.
Regular viewers of the Nuggets will already be familiar with the variety of shimmies and feints that Murray unloads to create space for himself, but finding a way to stop him may take opposing defenses considerably longer to figure out. At the moment, even a momentary defensive lapse will be punished without cover.
Beyond all of his impressive individual talents, what really makes Murray special is the recognition, belief, and ability he has already shown to put all of it together on both ends of the floor and simply take over. Always known as a game of runs, the NBA’s stars are best identified by their ability to put together sequences that change a game.
Just as when the first shot falls, Murray can be expected to quickly follow up with a heat check, he’s shown a knack for locking in and letting one play lead to another, until suddenly he’s dictating the shape of the game.
Role players and stars can often be separated by not just the ability to step up in the big moments and seize control of the action, but the confidence to seize that moment and live in it, without growing overconfident. Just over 60 games into his NBA career, it’s already clear that Murray lives for those bursts when the nine other players on the court become immaterial and the game is played on his terms.
With part of the motivation for the Kings to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans reportedly being the belief of owner Vivek Ranadive that Buddy Hield has the potential to be the next Stephen Curry, the Kings might have a problem on their hands.
If such a thing as the next Curry exists, there’s a very strong chance it could be the man wearing the No. 27 jersey in Denver.