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NBA GMs say Jamal Murray is most likely player to have a breakout season

Murray could be working on a huge payday in a few years.

By Jamie Boggs

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Denver Nuggets Media Day Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images

Every year, the NBA General Managers complete a preseason survey where they are asked about their predictions for the upcoming season. They give their best guesses about who will win the championship, the most likely MVP candidates, and which off-season moves will prove to be the best.

The 2018 survey results were released on Wednesday, and some categories were certainly more predictable than others. But perhaps the most exciting opinion shared by GM’s is that Jamal Murray is the player most likely to have a breakout season.

Jamal Murray received 20% of the overall vote in that category, whereas former Duke Blue Devils Brandon Ingram and Jayson Tatum tied for second with 10% each.

Murray averaged 16.7 points and 3.4 assists per game in his sophomore season with the Denver Nuggets in 2017-2018, hitting nearly 38% of his three point attempts in a regular starting role.

Especially toward the end of the season, Murray got comfortable in his role as a primary scoring option for the Nuggets and started playing more like the guy that suited up for the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2015-2016 season.

Murray averaged 20 points per game at Kentucky, good enough for second on the all-time freshman scoring list behind Malik Monk. He was best known for shooting three pointers and his bow and arrow celebration.

He hit 113 three’s during his one year at Kentucky. That number is second all-time in any season at Kentucky behind Jodie Meeks, who hit 117 in the 2008-2009 season.

Murray made notable strides between his first and second seasons in the NBA, getting more than 10 additional minutes per game and shooting a higher percentage from three, the free throw line, and overall field goals.

Could Jamal Murray be the next Devin Booker story? He is just one year away from being eligible for a max contract like saw Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns (last year’s vote for breakout player) sign in the off-season.

Who is your potential breakout player of the year in the NBA this season?

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