By The Numbers: Canada’s Murray on another level

The Denver Nuggets looked like they were down and out Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Trailing by as many as 21 points in the first and 18 in the second, Canadian Jamal Murray led the Nuggets all the way back before coming up short in the final minute to fall 104-103. Murray scored a game-high 25 points – including 14 in the fourth quarter – to go along with six threes on 10 attempts.

While it wasn’t quite enough to bring his team all the way back for the win, it showcased the kind of season Murray has been having. With Murray having one of the best years by a Canadian ever, TSN.ca takes a statistical look at his dominant season and how it compares to some of the best by Canadians in NBA history.

What the numbers say

Murray’s 18.3 points per game is a noticeable uptick from last year’s average of 16.7 and he’s only been better of late as the Nuggets continue their battle with the Golden State Warriors for top spot in the Western Conference. Over his last four games, the 22-year-old is averaging 21.5 points a night while shooting an absurd 46.9 per cent from beyond the arc on eight attempts per contest.

Catch Murray in action Wednesday night as the Nuggets take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center LIVE on TSN2 at 10:30 p.m. ET right after 76ers/Bulls at 8 p.m. ET. 

It isn’t just his play of late – he’s been doing it all season long. The Kitchener, Ont., native is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds (4.2), assists (5.0), three-pointers made and attempted (2.1, 5.6), minutes played (33.2) and defensive rating (112). For the most part, these figures stand up as career-bests across per 36-minute and per 100-possession qualifiers. He sits at a net of plus-5.3 per 100 possessions, well up from plus-3.7 last year and plus-2.1 as a rookie.

But maybe the biggest part of Murray’s game is the three-ball. Of his 391 total shot makes, 119 have been from beyond the arc. He’s leading the Nuggets in threes taken (317) and is a close second to Malik Beasley in threes made. Interestingly enough, Murray’s shooting from deep gets better as the game wears on, converting 40.0 per cent of his threes in the fourth quarter.

Another element of Murray’s value is his durability. He has appeared in 220 of Denver’s 227 regular-season games the past three seasons. Murray also leads the team in minutes per game this season.

How he compares

No, Murray doesn’t have the star-power RJ Barrett might have once he enters the league. And no, Murray might not be at Steve Nash’s back-to-back MVP level just yet. But he’s without question the top Canadian in today’s NBA.

Murray leads Canadian players in scoring and is one of only five to average double figures this season. Andrew Wiggins is a close second at 17.6, but Murray’s efficiency is off the charts compared to Wiggins.

By true shooting percentage – a measure of shooting efficiency that takes two-point, three-point and free throw attempts into account – Murray’s mark of 53.1 per cent dwarfs Wiggins’ 48.1. Despite his four-year, $147.7 million contract, Wiggins’ production is down severely from when he averaged 23.6 points a night on 45.2 per cent shooting in 2016-17 (17.6 points on 39.7 per cent in 2018-19).

Of the other three Canadians in double figures in terms of scoring, none of Tristan Thompson (11.5), Kelly Olynyk (10.1) or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (10.0) comes close to Murray. The Denver guard also leads in total assists with 284.

Aside from Nash’s near decade of dominance and Wiggins’ second and third years in the league, it could be argued that Murray is having one of the best seasons ever by a Canadian.

At just 22 years of age, it will be intriguing to see just how far Murray and co-star Nikola Jokic will be able to take the Nuggets in a stacked Western Conference. They enter Wednesday’s matchup against the Lakers on a three-game skid, but another big night from Murray might be just what they need to turn it around.