Jamal Murray is going to be an Allstar this year

[Woodsanity]

Maybe as a replacement at best.

[Exp0sed]

Murray won't be an all star in the West and hard to judge from playing a couple of quarters of preseason but there's ni denying he looked in shape, dialed-in and sharper than he's ever looked at this stage of the season

If the Nuggets can stay healthy they have a good shot at going all the way this season, they really overhauled their roster. If they can get good production from Murray in the rs, that would be the cherry on top

Everyone gets that going from MPJ to cam and adding Jonas are awesome moves but they have so much more depth now, it's really quite a dramatic upgrade

Braun and Watson are still young and improving, so do Strawtether and some of their 3rd stringers. Bruce Brown and THJ fit like a glove and seeing Holmes knocking down 3's from the top of the key is pretty cool for Nuggets fans. Their 10th and even 12th guys are better than last year's 7th or 8th best player

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[Big_Aristotle]

With his salary, this topic shouldn't even be newsworthy.

[Dr Aki]

Maybe in the East.

Please trade him to the East

[DaFan334]

The format helps his chances A LOT.

If it is an 8 player team, you will have Jokic, Giannis, SGA, and Luca are all probably givens along with Wemby. Guys like Embiid, Sengun, Siakam, Wagner, Markkanen and a few others are going to be in the running with Murray for the last 3 spots. If position has anything to do with it, he has higher odds.

The Nuggets could also be in line for the top record in the league, which will also help.

[MrBigShot]

The Nuggets would appreciate Jamal coming to work in the best shape possible and ready to be an All-Star since they're paying him roughly $50m. Whoever paid this man $50m per season is out of their mind but that's the case for all of the players that are paid that much without deserving it. The Nuggets have wasted so much of their payroll on players (MPJ) that aren't worth their contracts.

He was the 2nd best player on a championship team, played at all nba level and took over a lot of playoff games offensively. Hindsight is 20/20. The guy put up 33/6/5 in the 2023 WCF.

I don't think he will be an all star. Murray is one of those guys that just isn't built to score 25ppg+ and light up teams night in and night out over the course a regular season.

[MarcusBrody]

The format helps his chances A LOT.

If it is an 8 player team, you will have Jokic, Giannis, SGA, and Luca are all probably givens along with Wemby. Guys like Embiid, Sengun, Siakam, Wagner, Markkanen and a few others are going to be in the running with Murray for the last 3 spots. If position has anything to do with it, he has higher odds.

The Nuggets could also be in line for the top record in the league, which will also help.

I assume that they'd want at least 3 guards on an 8 person team. Murray is fighting it out with Dyson Daniels, Dort, Mathurin, Nembhard, etc. for that last spot. I feel like he can make a strong case there.

Jokic, Giannis, SGA, Luka, and Wemby are locks. It only gets dicey for Murray if they shoehorn wings into the backcourt slots (Franz, OG, etc.) to accommodate the much deeper frontcourt.

[tsherkin]

Seems unlikely. He's still injury-prone and hasn't played 70+ GP since 2019, he still doesn't have elite quickness, he doesn't have anything new to his game which suggests he'll perform over a RS in a way which will give him recognition for an AS appearance. He hasn't really shown any kind of progression for several seasons now.

This seems like fanciful optimism without cause to me, unless Denver goes bonkers and he gets an ASG appearance for no real reason while playing at the same level he has been for years.

[MarcusBrody]

Seems unlikely. He's still injury-prone and hasn't played 70+ GP since 2019, he still doesn't have elite quickness, he doesn't have anything new to his game which suggests he'll perform over a RS in a way which will give him recognition for an AS appearance. He hasn't really shown any kind of progression for several seasons now.

This seems like fanciful optimism without cause to me, unless Denver goes bonkers and he gets an ASG appearance for no real reason while playing at the same level he has been for years.

The reason would be a lack of a 3rd star international guard if they insure the international team has its positioned covered. I don't think he'll be in the very top tier of guards this season, but that could get him in if he's good.

[Mr Puddles]

Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, Ant Edwards, SGA will all be All Stars in the WC. Then there's Booker, Butler, Ja, maybe Fox, etc. Not a lot of space here. Maybe though.

Maybe on the international rooster

So the rule is 3 teams, 2 American and 1 international. There are 24 all-stars, and 12 will come from the West. 12 divided by 3 is 4, so the West can only have 4 international players. Jokic, SGA, Luka, and Wemby will make the team.

Even against American players, Ant, Curry, Lebron, Anthony Davis, and Durant should all make the team if healthy.

That leaves 3 more spots for Booker, Butler, Ja, Fox, Zion, Randle, Gobert, Kawhi, Harden, Flagg, Green, Jalen Williams, Chet, Sabonis, Lavine, JJJ, and Murray.

Is Murray really going to get the vote over 14 of those guys? And then how would they balance the international team? Only let the East get 3 international players, when the East has Giannis, Siakam, Embiid?, and KAT?

Is this the actual rule? Because it would be ridiculous with just 4 players. The West would already be set with Jokic, SGA, Luka, and Wemby, imagine if the thunder managed to trade for Giannis. We'd have one out of arguably the best 5 players in the league not make the allstar team.

I'm assuming the international team will be both east and western conference, the remaining 3 spots most likely going to Siakam, Sengun, Wagner - with Domantas, Murray, OG, Markannen, Zubac, Gobert next in the pecking order (assuming both Embiid & Towns are not considered international).

[MarcusBrody]

Maybe on the international rooster

So the rule is 3 teams, 2 American and 1 international. There are 24 all-stars, and 12 will come from the West. 12 divided by 3 is 4, so the West can only have 4 international players. Jokic, SGA, Luka, and Wemby will make the team.

Even against American players, Ant, Curry, Lebron, Anthony Davis, and Durant should all make the team if healthy.

That leaves 3 more spots for Booker, Butler, Ja, Fox, Zion, Randle, Gobert, Kawhi, Harden, Flagg, Green, Jalen Williams, Chet, Sabonis, Lavine, JJJ, and Murray.

Is Murray really going to get the vote over 14 of those guys? And then how would they balance the international team? Only let the East get 3 international players, when the East has Giannis, Siakam, Embiid?, and KAT?

Is this the actual rule? Because it would be ridiculous with just 4 players. The West would already be set with Jokic, SGA, Luka, and Wemby, imagine if the thunder managed to trade for Giannis. We'd have one out of arguably the best 5 players in the league not make the allstar team.

I'm assuming the international team will be both east and western conference, the remaining 3 spots most likely going to Siakam, Sengun, Wagner - with Domantas, Murray, OG, Markannen, Zubac, Gobert next in the pecking order (assuming both Embiid & Towns are not considered international).

I don't think anyone knows what the actual rules for selection are going to be.

[zero rings]

I’ve been hearing this cope from Nuggets fans for half a decade now.

[tsherkin]

The reason would be a lack of a 3rd star international guard if they insure the international team has its positioned covered. I don't think he'll be in the very top tier of guards this season, but that could get him in if he's good.

I don't think they really care about Canadian representation on the AS team, particularly given SGA.

It's possible he gets in. He's hovering just beneath AS recognition, but I think there are enough good players out there that he doesn't get a selection. He hasn't so far, and he's got a title and one or two particularly impressive playoff series under his belt. But there's a lot of talent in the league, so we'll see.

[Diop]

if he does Denver can win it all. Jokic is always great, but when Jamal gets hot they go up another gear

[Exp0sed]

if he does Denver can win it all. Jokic is always great, but when Jamal gets hot they go up another gear

I think it's pretty much a consensus the Nuggets can win it this year

they fired their coach a few days before the playoffs, MPJ had only one working shoulder, Murray wasn't right physically or mentally all of last season and even AG was injured in that OKC series and wasn't fit to play in the latter half of that OKC series and they still took the Thunder to 7 games

They have upgraded their starting 5 and dramatically upgraded their bench

They are obviously contenders and they will have a shot to win it all if they click at the right time and can stay healthy

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[Diop]

if he does Denver can win it all. Jokic is always great, but when Jamal gets hot they go up another gear

I think it's pretty much a consensus the Nuggets can win it this year

they fired their coach a few days before the playoffs, MPJ had only one working shoulder, Murray wasn't right physically or mentally all of last season and even AG was injured in that OKC series and wasn't fit to play in the latter half of that OKC series and they still took the Thunder to 7 games

They have upgraded their starting 5 and dramatically upgraded their bench

They are obviously contenders and they will have a shot to win it all if they click at the right time and can stay healthy

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i was trying to find a way to say I believe he is the most important nugget in regards to their success. Jokic is the best and will always provide, but a good Murray makes a huge difference

[Exp0sed]

if he does Denver can win it all. Jokic is always great, but when Jamal gets hot they go up another gear

I think it's pretty much a consensus the Nuggets can win it this year

they fired their coach a few days before the playoffs, MPJ had only one working shoulder, Murray wasn't right physically or mentally all of last season and even AG was injured in that OKC series and wasn't fit to play in the latter half of that OKC series and they still took the Thunder to 7 games

They have upgraded their starting 5 and dramatically upgraded their bench

They are obviously contenders and they will have a shot to win it all if they click at the right time and can stay healthy

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i was trying to find a way to say I believe he is the most important nugget in regards to their success. Jokic is the best and will always provide, but a good Murray makes a huge difference

No doubt, but like u said - it's just because Jokic is consistent and a given and Murray is hit or miss

He was phenomenal in the title run but was basically a net negative in the rs last season and played poorly in the playoffs the last two seasons

I think that aside from health and being in shape, having Cam instead of MPJ would be good for Murray as well

Having two low i.q players in the starting 5 is different than having one. It's easier to hide his poor shot selection and decision making

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[MMyhre]

I don't see the crazy difference in shape, I think him and Jokic has the highest body fat % of all star duos in the league.
He might be an All Star if he gets very hot from three, and the Nuggets roll to the 1st or 2nd best record in the league by the break. I don't see him being a strong All Star, and there are still injury concerns.

If anything, I am higher on Christian Braun taking further steps this season. He got a lot of great experience in the postseason as well.

[MMyhre]

I am fairly confident these players will be All Stars: SGA, Jokic, Wemby, Luka, Davis, Edwards, Booker, Durant, Curry, J-Dub, Sengun.
Middle tier: Harden, LeBron, Chet, Fox, Trey Murphy, Zion, Morant, Kawhi, Butler, Randle, Murray.
Guys that have an outside shot: Amen Thompson, Zubac, Sabonis, LaVine, Markkanen, JJJ.
Potential sleepers: Avdija, Sharpe, Braun, Cam Johnson, Jalen Green, Cooper Flagg, Reaves, Mark Williams.

That's 11 in upper tier.
11 in middle.
7 in outside shot.
8 in the sleeper category, so 37 potential All Stars in the West. It's just stacked in here.

Murray might need a 55-60 win pace or better, 1 to 3 in the standings, preferably 1 or 2 and to match or average something close to his best month last season in february:
9-2 win loss, 24.7 pts on 65.4 ts%, 3.6 3pm/2.5 ftm, 2.5 reb, 5.6 ast/2.1 to, 1.3 stl, 0,4 blk, +/- +8.8.
The only problem there is that he only got to the line 2.9 times per game, and he was 3.6-7 from downtown for a scorching 51.9 3pt %, showcasing his overreliance on his outside jump shot being hot to score higher amount of pts, which is a pretty big part of his statistical profile. So it's pretty unrealistic to think he can get to 25 pts a game if he needs to shoot 50 % from three, so he needs more free throw attempts and easier buckets closer to the rim. The problem there is his decline as an athlete, he just doesn't get to his spots fast enough or get high enough on his jumps to get easier looks at the basket like he used to. He actually only has a career high of 3.7 fta, remarkably low for someone with his ball handling skill and self creation, who also used to be pretty athletic back in the day.

All in all, I will probably still put him in the upper section of the medium tier of probable All Stars, primarily due to the Nuggets likely having one of the better records. Rumors say the Nuggets defense is a bit suspect though.

But watch out for the sleepers! I will mention some of them below:

Now for those doubting the Murphy mention, I think the Pelicans will be much better and if Zion is healthy, they should be competitive in the win loss. He had averages of 37.3 min, 25.1 pts on 63.2 ts %/3.4 3pm/5.1 ftm, 6 reb, 3.8 ast/1.5 to, 1.3 stl and 0.9 blk, +/- -1.8, where the short handed Pelicans went 6-7 in january.

Then you have Deni Avdija in march: 35.9 min, 23.4 pts on 65.9 ts%/2.8 3pm/5.5 ftm, 9.8 reb, 5.2 ast/3.5 to, 0.9 stl, 0.4 blk, +/- +1.2 where the short handed Blazers went 5-8.

Shaedon Sharpe in the last 11 games of 24/25: 35.9 min, 24.5 pts on 56.3 ts%, 2.5 3pm (30.4 3pt fg %), 3.8 ftm, 6.6 reb, 3.6 ast/2.5 to, 1,4 stl, +/- +73, 5-6 win loss. The fact that Sharpe did all of that, and averaged 18.9 pts WITHOUT hitting threes at decent level, makes me very optimistic for his ceiling this season, started 4-8 from downtown against the Warriors + 14 at half.

Now add Toumani Camara, they got huge Klingan, Yang Hansen, Jrue Holiday, Lillard, Thybulle and Henderson... the Blazers are a team to watch this season if Billups can figure out how to fit the pieces together. Beat up on the Warriors best players in the first half last night without many of the aforementioned injured players. The Blazers sucked at 3pointers last season, so a nice start with Avdija, Sharpe and Camara going 10-23 from 3pt range last night.

Someone should make an All Star prediction thread for someone in the East as well, it's fun to think through the many candidates we have in this talented league.

[Johnny Firpo]

I hope so so we don’t have to hear that anymore

Yeah, facts are annoying when they don't support our feelings.