Jamal Murray has gotten off to a great start this season, and he deserves a ton of credit for working hard all offseason, coming into camp motivated, and in great shape. But it can’t go unnoticed how well Murray is playing in the minutes without Nikola Jokic, which has been a constant struggle for years.
But now, when Jokic sits and Murray runs the second unit, he has a legitimate pick-and-roll partner like never before in Jonas Valanciunas. JV is the best backup center Murray has ever played with, and a guy he can functionally play with and create advantages.