Jamal Murray has “full trust” in Russell Westbrook as Nuggets approach playoffs
Mar 6, 2025, 9:46 AM | Updated: 9:49 am
When the Denver Nuggets signed Russell Westbrook in the 2024 offseason, there was a lot of chatter regarding how the former MVP would fit with the team, especially when sharing the floor with Jamal Murray.
There have been plenty of growing pains for Westbrook over the course of this season as he has continued to find his stride with the team more and more. While he may not be able to fly as high as he once did with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he’s still able to run faster than anyone else on the floor and push the pace, and Murray enjoys sharing the floor with him.
“We both want to win and it’s fun, it’s fun,” Murray said Wednesday. “I get to play with somebody who has that kind of energy, [who] loves to win, loves to compete. I have full trust in him.”
While all the talk has been on how Westbrook has been building up chemistry with Nikola Jokic, him and Murray have been gaining steam lately, and always know where each other are on the floor at all times.
Jamal Murray with the steal , Russell Westbrook with the layup#Nuggets #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/j55XsM5ZP8
— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) March 6, 2025
Murray said it’s fun to play that fast-paced “brand of basketball” when sharing the court with Westbrook.
Per PBP Stats, the Nuggets have a 5.93 net rating this season in the 942 minutes the two have been on the court at the same time. That number is higher than when just Murray is on the floor (3.32), just Westbrook is on the floor (1.00), or neither are on the floor (-19.10). Especially with the recent injury to Aaron Gordon that has pushed Westbrook into the starting the lineup, the duo has continued to play well.
Westbrook has established himself as a key piece of the rotation as the Nuggets chase a second NBA Championship, and Murray has elevated his game in the past month. Their contributions will be essential for this team to make it back to the top of the mountain.
“I don’t know how much he notices, but he’s got a lot of guys on the team that watch him and study him and appreciate everything he’s done for this league,” Murray said.
