Before the season started and even now when I look at different websites top 50 players list a lot of them have Jamal Murray higher than other point guards Like Ja, Fox, and Brunson. I think the only guy worth having a conversation about is Jalen Brunson, and I still think Jalen is a better player than Murray by a good margin. I think if Jamal was asked to play a true point guard role and was asked to lead a team, it wouldn’t work. I think his play style compliments really well with Jokic, and if you switched him and Brunson’s positions it wouldn’t even be a conversation. Yes Jamal Murray elevates to unreal levels in the playoffs but puts up fringe all star numbers in the regular season, and Brunson is levels above that, he is a borderline all nba player, and without Jokic I do not think Jamal Murray could ever be that.
But the way Jokic elevates Murray isn’t magic. Murray’s lowkey one of the best off-ball players in the league. He’s elite at cutting, relocating, and catch & shoot. I think stars should get credit for having scalable playstyles, especially if they’re in that 16-25 range and can’t be the #1 on a championship team.
That being said this is tough since both elevate in the playoffs, and Brunson is probably the safer option.