Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray still needs to take another step, particularly when the pressure rises in the postseason.
"We need him to take a leap even more. We're talking All-NBA [player]," Perkins said before Denver's preseason matchup against the Chicago Bulls. "At this point, Jokic is doing more than enough. When is Jamal Murray gonna continue to elevate his game consistently throughout the course of the postseason?"
Murray is coming off the best regular season of his career. The 29-year-old averaged career highs of 25.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 75 games. He earned his first All-Star selection and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.
However, his production dropped during Denver's first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Canadian averaged 23.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists across six postseason games while shooting just 35.7% from the field and 26.2% from three.
Jokic, meanwhile, averaged 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the same series.
Perkins wants more from Murray
Murray had built much of his reputation on memorable postseason performances, including Denver's 2023 championship run, but his latest postseason showing was considerably less efficient.
Against Minnesota, he scored 30 points three times in the six-game series but also had games of 16 and 12 points.
That inconsistency was most evident in Game 6, when the Nuggets faced elimination on the road.
Murray finished Game 6 with just 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in 40 minutes, shooting 4-of-17 from the field and 0-of-2 from three while posting a team-worst minus-18 in the Nuggets' 110-98 loss.