Jamal Murray is getting his flowers for the season he is having, and it appears he is on the verge of breaking his infamous streak of never making the All-Star Game. Many pundits have dubbed Murray as a [lock to make the team this season](https://nugglove.com/jamal-murray-lock-all-star-game-according-latest-expert-predictions), but Bill Simmons took it a step further on his most recent podcast, saying, [“You could have talked me into Jamal Murray”](https://x.com/BillSimmons/status/2011626735369167042?s=20) for the fifth starting spot on his Western Conference All-Star team.
Bill “begrudgingly” gave the nod to Luka Doncic, but the fact that he is even mentioning Murray in the conversation to start in the All-Star Game is incredible. Moments later, Simmons named Jamal as his first lock when it comes to reserves on the West team.
For years, Murray has come into seasons out of shape, struggled to stay on the court, and played inconsistently. Everyone knows what he’s capable of, and luckily, he’s been a constant playoff-riser, but it has become frustrating how he has taken the mantle of best player to never make an All-Star Game.
But that narrative is changing in a massive way as Murray has played so well; his appearance in the All-Star game is now being talked about like a foregone conclusion. And deservedly so. Murray has been incredible from day one, coming into this season completely focused and in great shape, and it has translated onto the court.
He’s having, by far, the best season of his career, smashing his career highs with 25.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game with 48/45/89 shooting splits. Just as impressively and importantly, he has played in 37 of the team’s 41 games so far, and helped lead the Nuggets to a 28-13 record, including an amazing 6-3 run without Nikola Jokic.
Simmons puts MPJ on his East All-Star team
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Of course, Simmons had Jokic in his West starting lineup, but he also had a former Nugget in the game, picking Michael Porter Jr. as an Eastern Conference reserve. Bill raved about MPJ’s ability to be the best player on the floor and go toe-to-toe with the league’s best players.
Bill does have a media vote for All-Star, but the media only votes on the starters, while coaches pick the reserves. So, as much as Simmons loves Murray and Mike, as he won’t be picking them as starters, his vote here doesn’t actually count for much.
But it does count toward the narrative. He has an important voice in the national media and holds plenty of sway and influence over the general public and NBA fans, from casuals to diehards. To hear him talk about Jamal in an almost dismissive way, as if his inclusion in this conversation is so obvious that it requires no attention, was extremely rewarding.