Can Jamal Murray make the 2024-25 All-Star team?

At just 27, Jamal Murray boasts an impressive resume featuring an NBA championship and a stellar 24.2 points-per-game playoff average. The Denver Nuggets point guard further solidified his elite status during the 2023-24 season, averaging over 21 points per game while ranking in the top ten in three-point shooting percentage.

Though Murray has found significant on-court success, he’s never earned an All-Star nod. He is arguably the most accomplished active player to never be selected for the NBA’s February showcase.

As we gear up for the 2024-25 season, the question lingers: Is this the year Murray finally breaks through and is named an All-Star?

Western Conference All-Star landscape

The path to the Western Conference All-Star team is narrow for guards. Two are selected as starters and two as reserves, with two additional “wild card” spots open to any position.

Barring injury, five guards are virtual locks for the Western Conference All-Star team. 

Luka Doncic averaged a near 33.9 PPG triple-double in 2023-24 and led the Mavericks to the Finals, finishing third in MVP voting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the MVP runner-up, posting 30.1 PPG, and propelled the Thunder to the top seed in the West. 

Stephen Curry won the Clutch Player of the Year Award while hitting 40.8% from three on 11.8 attempts per game. Anthony Edwards finished seventh in the MVP race with 25.9 PPG and guided the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals. Devin Booker, an explosive scorer and playmaker (27.1 PPG, 6.9 APG), carried the Suns to the playoffs despite their clear lack of interior defense.

This leaves just one possible (“wild card”) guard spot up for grabs.

Murray vs. his competition

Jamal Murray’s major rivals:

• Ja Morant: In 2022-23, his last healthy season, he averaged 26.2 PPG, 8.1 APG, 30.7 3P%, 6.0 Win Shares (WS) and a 112 DFRTG (lower is better).
• Kyrie Irving: Last season, he averaged 25.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, 41.1 3P%, 6.9 WS and 116 DFRTG.
• De’Aaron Fox: Last season, he averaged 26.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, 36.9 3P%, 6.5 WS and a 114 DFRTG.

Jamal Murray’s statistics:

• Jamal Murray: Last season, he averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.1 RPG, 42.5 3P%, 5.9 WS and a 114 DFRTG.

Murray and Irving are excellent shooters, punishing defenses from beyond the arc and midrange. While Morant and Fox lack the same long-range touch, they wreak havoc by relentlessly attacking the rim. In his last healthy season, Morant ranked second in drives per game (20.3), collapsing opposing defenses and creating opportunities for teammates. Equally skilled at getting to the rack, Fox finished in the top ten in drives during 2023-24, helping propel the Kings to a top-15 offensive attack.

On the less glamorous end, Fox stands out as the premier perimeter defender of this group. A true pest, he led the league in steals with 2.0 per game and was second in deflections at 3.6 per contest. Morant wasn’t the disruptor Fox was during 2022-23, but he was much better than Murray and Irving in one-on-one defensive situations, forcing his assignments to shoot -3.3% below their season average.

The verdict

Murray’s traditional stats fall short compared to Morant, Irving and Fox. Even his advanced stats, at best, only match theirs.

Despite Murray’s reputation as a late-game playoff hero, his regular-season crunch-time numbers have been overshadowed by Fox’s 2023-24 fifth-place ranking in total clutch scoring (122 total points) and Irving’s impressive 60% shooting on 45 attempts at the end of tight games.

A closer look shows that in 2023-24, Irving and Fox had two of the most impressive seasons in NBA history without earning an All-Star selection, underscoring the depth of the Western Conference. Although Murray’s talent and key role on a championship team are undeniable, without a nearly unprecedented mid-career leap in his play this season, he’ll likely miss out on the All-Star game once again.