Jamal Murray’s playoff rep isn’t fake. The bubble was insane. Three 40 point elimination games, two 3-1 comebacks, all of it. 2023 was legit star production too: 26.¹⁄₅.⁷⁄₇.1 on 47.3 FG%, 39.6 from three and 58.6 TS%.

And the two game winners over the Lakers in 2024 were ridiculous. Nobody can take those moments away from him. But when you look at the full playoff runs from the last three years, not just the highlights, the picture gets a lot rougher.

Year GP PPG RPG APG FG% 3P% TS% +/-

2024 12 20.6 4.3 5.6 40.2 31.5 47.4 -32

2025 14 21.8 4.9 5.2 44.4 35.4 55.5 +30

2026 6 23.7 5.0 5.7 35.7 26.2 48.4 -28

Last 3 32 21.7 4.7 5.4 40.9 32.2 50.9 -30

The counting stats are fine. That’s not really the issue. The issue is that the efficiency is nowhere near the way people talk about “Playoff Murray.”

The 2024 Lakers series is the perfect example. The two game winners were iconic and deserved all the hype. But in that same series, he shot 40.0% from the field, 29.4% from three and had a 46.8 TS%. So the highlights are carrying the reputation, while the full series production tells a much rougher story.

And 2026 might be the worst one. Murray had arguably his best regular season, then dropped to 35.7% from the field, 26.2% from three and 48.4 TS% in the playoffs. He closed it with 12 points on 4-17 shooting in an elimination loss, against a Wolves team missing Edwards, DiVincenzo, Dosunmu and Anderson.

Denver wasn’t fully healthy either with Gordon and Watson out. That matters. But this is still three straight postseasons now. Murray isn’t washed. He still has huge moments. But the gap between the reputation and the actual production is getting hard to ignore.

At some point, we probably have to stop assuming the 2023 version is just guaranteed to show up.

Sources:

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jamal-murray-stats-in-the-2024-playoffs

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jamal-murray-stats-in-the-2025-playoffs

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jamal-murray-stats-in-the-2026-playoffs

Logical-Flight8741 | Timberwolves

146 | 7 hours ago

13 games against Jaden McDaniels

OldSchoolNewFool | Magic

45 | 7 hours ago

Locked up, won’t let me out

Dummmy99 | Lakers

3 | 5 hours ago

For comparison (sorry I was just curious honestly) Doncic average 31-8-7 vs the Wolves in his career on 62% TS. (Sorry for the insert need some positivity as a miserable Lakers fan atm).

nbd789 | Timberwolves

7 | 3 hours ago

Are there any teams or defenders Doncic doesn’t kill on offense

Mobile-Entertainer60 | Thunder

9 | 6 hours ago

It’s exhausting trying to get good looks against a defender 5 inches taller who can stay with you.

SpinJitsu259 | Pacers

3 | 5 hours ago

They need one more perimeter player who can create/score. Someone who can make teams like the Wolves think twice about putting McDaniels on Murray. Peyton showed a few signs of being that this year, but it’s no guarantee they’ll be able to retain him.

Xgxstxn | Thunder

3 | 6 hours ago

Jaden is bros Freddy Krueger

lawschoolthrowaway36 | Lakers

74 | 7 hours ago

Cool. The anti-Denver circle jerk today is a great example of why NBA discourse is the worst of every major sport. Time to call everyone trash on the losing team, and then next year we’ll do the same to Minnesota next year when they have a bad playoff series.

I don’t know how you people function as basketball fans overreacting like this to every single game and series every single season.

CantaloupeCamper | Timberwolves

29 | 7 hours ago

Sports discourse online has really gone downhill amidst social media where exaggeration and drama was the key to getting views.

butidktho_ | NBA

15 | 6 hours ago

Erase sports from that sentence. The discourse around legitimately everything is largely negative now.

CantaloupeCamper | Timberwolves

4 | 6 hours ago

#YOU PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT!!!

horse_renoir13 | Timberwolves

3 | 7 hours ago

Negativity = Profit

thesch | Bulls

24 | 7 hours ago

I think you’re right, but there are real questions that Denver has to address going forward and one of them is if Jamal Murray can actually be relied upon to be the 2nd best player on the team at this point. Because in games like last night where he’s not scoring he’s basically not giving you anything else either and he’s just a total negative on the court. Can’t have that from your second best player.

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

19 | 7 hours ago

Is a 32 game sample size in the playoffs really an overreaction to say that he becomes significantly less effective and efficient in the post season.

GiantBrownBalls | Raptors

0 | 6 hours ago

literally just about every player becomes less effective and efficient in the post season except for a select few all world players.

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

12 | 6 hours ago

Being under the league average and position TS% in the playoffs doesn’t bode well for a 2nd option.

WoahBenny23 | Kings

5 | 6 hours ago

there’s a difference from less effective and efficient to being a negative on the supposed side of basketball you’re supposed to be good at.

if murray isn’t scoring efficiently/effectively, he’s not bringing anything else to the table. he’s not a guard that can put insane pressure on the rim as a release valve, he’s weak athletically, not a good defender or playmaker at all. he’s just a guy who has scoring gravity, which don’t get me wrong is good in the playoffs, but if that’s all you can do then that’s not my good.

GiantBrownBalls | Raptors

4 | 6 hours ago

So the defence has no say over an offensive players effectiveness? I don’t understand why the default is to blame the offensive player when you could just as easily give credit to McDaniels and the whole Timberwolves roster for the way they defended all series long after all the major injuries.

WoahBenny23 | Kings

1 | 6 hours ago

that’s inherently his problem, he’s doesn’t bring anything special or good offensively to offset a bad game. if he put pressure on the rim then mcdaniel’s defense wouldn’t as effective since that is his weakness as a defender

WoahBenny23 | Kings

0 | 6 hours ago

it’s one of the reasons that despite his off the court problems, Ja would be an incredible fit with jokic. since he not only scales higher as a scorer, but is a far better playmaker/passer, and finisher

2-59project | Pacers

14 | 6 hours ago

Everyone who lost is a fraud and the one team who wins it all is also a fraud because they only beat fraudulent teams

Sea_Advantage_2577 | Bucks

9 | 7 hours ago

Stop pushing frauds into all time debates, this is what happens

StillwaterJerry | Suns

-1 | 4 hours ago

What Fraud is being pushed into the all time debates?

Sea_Advantage_2577 | Bucks

5 | 3 hours ago

Thr guy that just gave up another layup in the paint

StillwaterJerry | Suns

0 | 3 hours ago

Guess it just depends on what you consider all time. Top 5 no way… Top 20? Seems like he’s got a good argument there.

DeaseanPrince | Bulls

5 | 3 hours ago

This just in: sports fans shit on players when they play like shit, more at 7.

Nobody shit on Indiana when after they lost in the finals but when you have expectations and perform well below them people have a right to point it out.

DankMemesNQuickNuts | Charlotte Bobcats

3 | 6 hours ago

I think that Jamal Murray is a guy you can have as a key piece on a title winner but I think its very valid to say that both he and Jokic seriously underperformed in this series. They also think they did. That is not overreacting

Kdot32 | Rockets

2 | 6 hours ago

People clown on Kevin Durant a lot but he was right when he said NBA fans don’t like the nba

Smart_Nebula_2032

1 | 6 hours ago

Don’t even have to go that far when twolves get demolished by the spurs in ⁴⁄₅ games the rudy and Randle slander will be right back out.

Krillin113 | 76ers

1 | 6 hours ago

The Murray is trash is being pushed **BY JOKIC FANS** this dude literally has a Serbia flair. No one else thinks he’s trash. He’s an all star guard who sometimes is forced to do too much. Why did he take so many more shots than Jokic in the fourth?

When he hits them, sure, feed him, but when he’s getting locked up, don’t give him a grenade every other possession

CgradeCheese | Nuggets

1 | 5 hours ago

“Don’t pass to your #2 option and best teammate in the clutch, obviously he’s going to throw the game”

Imagine Jaylen Brown, LeBron, Reaves, Sengun, or Harden having this stat line. They would get cooked to all hell.

Krillin113 | 76ers

1 | 3 hours ago

If it’s the better play, you pass the ball.

If you’re shooting idk, 50% from the field and Jamal is shooting 25% for the game, the better shot is probably the superstar taking a slightly tougher shot.

Jamal is obviously part of the problem, but the main star rightfully gets most of the blame.

If Embiid drops 40-10-10 on Sunday, but passes to PG 5 times in the clutch and he keeps clanking I hope he forces his own shots at some point.

CgradeCheese | Nuggets

0 | 3 hours ago

You’ve got to have ball movement though. Just passing to Jamal isn’t saying “hey take the first shot you can” it’s just moving the ball and making the defense move. Jamal taking dumb shots and missing everything is not the plan, but he’s earned the trust to make the right play and clearly he wasn’t doing that game 6.

_19911118 | Raptors

2 | 5 hours ago

“Anti-denver” I guess you’re not aware of this thing call ‘hate watch’ it’s not only nba

AlgaeDependent9233

1 | 4 hours ago

The reality is that there is almost no gap between the 3 and 6 seeds in the west this year, like the wolves w/o their late season injuries could’ve easily been the 3

crookt

1 | 4 hours ago

Why would being really stupid fans stop them from being basketball fans. There’s no functioning involved. Ball go in hoop.

Dusty_Negatives | Trail Blazers

1 | 4 hours ago

Yup 100%. Place turns into a toxic shithole when a team gets bounced. The shit I was reading about blazers in here last week was wild. We were the 10 seed 2 weeks before playoffs lol. Luckily Denver and Detroit got all the attention right after.

iiTryhard | Celtics

1 | an hour ago

My Knicks fan coworker and I were just laughing about how a week ago, it was all doom and gloom for the Knicks. And now they are prob the favorite to come out of the east

Miscto3 | Nuggets

-5 | 7 hours ago

You see in the nba fandom, everyone hates a team if they win too much. But they win a middling amount like 46 wins, then everyone hates that too and they should try to lose. But if they try to lose too, everyone hates that too and you should try to win, but don’t win too much again! Because they’ll go back to hating you.

A_Diabolical_Toaster

45 | 7 hours ago

MPJ was a godsend for that man. He escaped the spotlight only because while he was shitting his pants in the playoffs, MPJ was taking a shit on the logo center court.

HongLanYang

6 | 5 hours ago

This is sad and funny

nowhathappenedwas | NBA

32 | 7 hours ago

“Murray has been a playoff riser post-title” is not a narrative. No one says that. They say that about his earlier playoff performance.

This whole post (and dozens of identical ones) is attacking a strawman.

axecalibur | CHI

12 | 7 hours ago

Media definitely says that. It’s their only narrative.

nowhathappenedwas | NBA

-7 | 7 hours ago

They say it about his first three playoff runs or about his playoff career as a whole (prior to this season).

No one says “man, Murray sure has been a playoff riser in the 32 games since Denver won a title.”

DementedWarrior_ | Timberwolves

0 | 5 hours ago

you’re denying that Murray has a general label of playoff riser?

nowhathappenedwas | NBA

1 | 5 hours ago

They say it about his first three playoff runs or about his playoff career as a whole (prior to this season).

Not sure how one could possibly read that sentence and interpret it as denying that he has a general label as a playoff riser.

The point is that Murray’s reputation comes from his entire playoff career–particularly his first three playoff runs.

Saying he’s sucked his last three runs while ignoring the first three isn’t even addressing that reputation. It’s addressing only his last 3 runs – for which there is no narrative.

suspensionqueefer

1 | 4 hours ago

plus he didn’t even suck last year… those numbers are elite for a second option. so really it’s like here’s an 18 game sample where he was bad, which include 8 games he played with a calf strain in 2024

TyposIncoming | Lakers

7 | 7 hours ago

People have said that for a while when talking about Jokic’s teammates and how until this season he hadn’t played with another all star

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

8 | 7 hours ago

He’s not a playoff riser but casuals most definitely see him as someone who plays at his level. The 2023 title has protected him as the stats show he is far below his all regular season self in the playoffs.

chillinwithmoes | Timberwolves

1 | 6 hours ago

We’ve know he was a playoff loser since the heat-pack tantrum

Portmanteau_that | Hornets

1 | 6 hours ago

Hate hate hate

Mr_Hugh_Honey

30 | 7 hours ago

Being a #2 or #3 option behind a superstar in the NBA is usually a very cushy job. You’re almost certainly making a ton of money but you won’t face any slander if your team falls short, even if you play horribly, because the slander will be 100% absorbed by the superstar player. This isn’t unique to Murray/Gordon and the Nuggets, it happens all the time

_19911118 | Raptors

17 | 5 hours ago

But for so long the narrative was ‘Jokic hasn’t played with an all star”

Whackedjob | Raptors

11 | 6 hours ago

Being a fringe All Star / All NBA guard who made 1 Finals run is the best place to be. It insulates you from any criticism ever again. Booker didn’t even win and doesn’t have a superstar to protect him and he still doesn’t get a ton of heat.

ASS_BASHER | Mavericks

14 | 4 hours ago

Booker doesn’t get a lot of heat cuz most people forget he even exists

Time_Transition4817 | Pelicans

0 | 5 hours ago

Idk Jordan Poole gets a lot of shit lol

axecalibur | CHI

16 | 7 hours ago

His legs are cooked. He peaked at the title and him and Jokic are just going to get older, slower, and more banged up.

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

9 | 7 hours ago

He will make $50.1 million in 2026-27, $53.8 million in 2027-28 and $57.5 million in 2027-2028.

Gold_Athlete_4770 | Spurs

4 | 6 hours ago

I thought he was like one of denver’s only trade assets. After seeing this contract, I guess not

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

7 | 7 hours ago

Those Lakers game winners have been a god sent for his reputation in the playoffs.

Saetia7

5 | 6 hours ago

Serbia tag, I know what you’re doing here

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

1 | 5 hours ago

I’m a Luka fanboy btw. Jokic’s support of the ruling government is off putting enough for me to basically only watch him in the playoffs.

Mereel13

5 | 7 hours ago

I’ve been long saying Murray isn’t that good and I was hoping he was taking a step forward this year and he didn’t when it mattered.

He’s a talented player, but what kills me is the inconsistency. Those kind of nights aren’t out of the ordinary for him and he pretty much single handedly ended the nuggets season in game 6. Him and Aaron Gordon just feel wildly overpaid at this point.

isaacz321 | LAC

3 | 6 hours ago

His game is just so Jump shot heavy and those guys are inconsistent. Had such a good regular season however and was only Denver player completely healthy so I’m not giving up on him as a 2nd option.

I’m looking to upgrade from Braun first. Denver with like max Strus instead of Braun wins this series.

Fun_Position_6969 | Minneapolis Lakers

1 | 6 hours ago

Upgrade from Braun? Right. I’m sure there are tons of teams clamoring to trade for a 5 year 125 million dollar human cardio machine.

Sweatytubesock

1 | 4 hours ago

Strus would be an ideal role player on a Jokic team.

BloodLongjumping5227

1 | 3 hours ago

He’s a tough shot maker. He doesn’t really create advantages and he is the only other guy who’s supposed to do that. If Tyus Jones ran the point with Murray playing off the ball I feel like their offense would look better against wolves considering Mcdaniels is guarding Murray.

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

2 | 7 hours ago

Also no way they don’t at least explore the trade market. Would have to be crazy to just run it back when it could be your last chance with Jokic who hasn’t signed an extension as of yet and has a player option after next season.

TyposIncoming | Lakers

7 | 7 hours ago

I don’t see how they trade him and upgrade their team, so he’s likely back next year.

Their big mistake was not doing an actual coaching search last year.

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

1 | 7 hours ago

The coaching decision actually confuses me.

TyposIncoming | Lakers

1 | 7 hours ago

I’d be fine if they looked outside and decided that still wanted Adelman but both Denver and Memphis just going with their interim coach without really looking at anyone else was weird to me.

blackmamba182 | Lakers

1 | an hour ago

Murray for Ja

lebryant_westcurry | Knicks

3 | 7 hours ago

Why do you set the cut off only after his best playoff riser seasons. His best performances were in the 2020 and 2023 playoffs.

Anyone can cherry pick stats if you want to generate a certain narrative

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

10 | 7 hours ago

Because 32 games over 3 years in a row is hardly cherry picking, it’s more about if he is still the 2nd option that can work next to Jokic in the playoffs.

lebryant_westcurry | Knicks

-5 | 6 hours ago

It is cherry picking when you cutoff right at when he had a large sample of playoff riser games.

If your narrative is true, why don’t you just use the entire sample set instead of only the last couple of years, many of which he was dealing with injuries

Luka77GOATic | Serbia

4 | 6 hours ago

The start of the post does acknowledge that he used to live up to his reputation and I mentioned the bubble games and his all star production in 2023.

Murray has largely escaped the criticism for these last 3 years and if he was really dealing with injuries in all 3 years, it sort of makes him unreliable as a 2nd option.

terrybrugehiplo | Bulls

1 | 6 hours ago

Why is it hard for you to understand that players fall off? What he did 3+ years ago don’t matter anymore. The point is to find out what he’s been doing recently to see if he is going to be helpful over the next few seasons.

lebryant_westcurry | Knicks

-1 | 6 hours ago

Is Jokic a playoff faller too by op’s standard?

terrybrugehiplo | Bulls

1 | 6 hours ago

His stats have been posted. He’s putting up essentially the same stat line but less efficiently.

But I think a lot of that is from matchups and missing Gordon.

lebryant_westcurry | Knicks

0 | 4 hours ago

Where was Jokic’s stats posted in this post? Also, the majority of this post is talking about Murray’s efficiency, wouldn’t the same apply to Jokic?

terrybrugehiplo | Bulls

1 | 6 hours ago

Also, you completely ignored the point and brought up Jokic for some reason. Why is it not important to look at the last couple years of play and then make an opinion on if they have dropped off?

tacoSEVEN

1 | 6 hours ago

I mean, he acknowledges Murray used to be a top guard. His post is about how that reputation lives while the production doesn’t. Thad not cherry picking if you acknowledge the past greatness. But it is definitely worth looking at the past 3 runs because that is likely closer to the player you have next year than the one you had in 2023.

chitownbulls92 | Bulls

3 | 7 hours ago

Because 32 games is a pretty large sample size to draw from

Bitter-Coyote6058

2 | 5 hours ago

Are we all just going to be okay with this AI slop? I don’t even care about the substance - this is trash trash trash

SheriffHarryBawls

1 | 7 hours ago

Seems like his best days are behind him

cardmanimgur | Timberwolves

1 | 7 hours ago

First impressions are super hard to overcome. Murray came on like a rocket in his initial appearances and now people just have that in their mind. Paul George is a great example. He was looking great battling LeBron and everyone has this idea in their head of this two-way monster. It wasn’t until the past few years that people started clowning on the Playoff P stuff because it took a long time for that narrative to shift. Now he looks great for Philly this year but people still assume he isn’t going to get it done.

blackmamba182 | Lakers

1 | an hour ago

The best response

MamaHadACow | Nuggets

1 | 6 hours ago

I hope people will clown on him for saying people who guard him are “irrelevant” implying that he can score at will. What a frontrunning bitch

TippyTripod1040 | Lakers

1 | 5 hours ago

I remember nuggets fans circle jerking about how “Murray is the only superstar who people ask to prove it in the regular season.”

Turns out hundreds of regular season games are actually pretty predictive!

AnkitPancakes | Thunder

1 | 5 hours ago

The bubble did wonders for his PR

--solitude--

1 | 5 hours ago

He was terrible

waffle-winner | Spurs

1 | 5 hours ago

The guy can’t miss with a heatpad in his hand though.

suspensionqueefer

1 | 4 hours ago

Why don’t you look at his numbers in context? Here’s his peer group, taking us all the way back to the heatles era: https://statm.us/e/ZwgJbXgr4

This is pretty much everyone who has played as a second option in the finals. He’s 3rd in ppg, 2nd in apg, middle of the pack in TS and +/-. The only players that clear him are ones that have also made the playoffs as a first option (AD, brunson, cp3, wade). Yet you don’t hear anyone complaining about jaylen brown or khris middleton, etc.

Fit-Setting9033

1 | 4 hours ago

Yeah it’s really just bubble Murray holding up the reputation. He was also really good this regular season. Unfortunately he’s a small guard so even if he’s good on offense it’s not enough he has to be great.

TheGreatLake | Lakers

1 | 3 hours ago

Why doesn’t Jamal Murray just play the Lakers every game? Is he stupid?

Hinohellono | Knicks

1 | 2 hours ago

Nuggets need to move him and Gordon. It’s over

nhthelegend | Timberwolves

1 | 2 hours ago

He’s a Jokic merchant at this point

Jamal Murray has played 32 playoff games since the championship with a 51 TS% across them. The gap between the narrative and the production is enormous.