Jamal Murray Named MVP for 2017 USA vs. World Rising Stars Challenge

Denver Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray had no trouble showcasing his shooting touch at the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge, taking home MVP honors in the World's 150-141 victory with 36 points and 11 assists. 

As part of Murray's scoring effort, he shot 9-of-14 from three-point range. His nine three-pointers marked the second-highest total in the Rising Stars Challenge, after Daniel Gibson's 11 in 2008, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

Murray's debut season in the NBA has had its ups and downs. The 19-year-old is averaging fewer than 20 minutes played per game and is only scoring 8.9 points per game, but there have been signs he's starting to get more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Month	FG%	3-PT%	True Shooting %	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating
October	0	0	.107	43	103
November	.413	.427	.550	105	112
December	.354	.246	.442	92	118
January	.406	.256	.513	105	119
February	.424	.366	.555	104	118

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone pinpointed a game on November 3 in which Murray shot 0-for-8 against the Minnesota Timberwolves as a key moment in his development. 

"I just grabbed him and hugged him and said 'I don’t care if you go 0-for-8. I really don't'," Malone told reporters (h/t Sports Illustrated's Jake Fischer). "I can’t let him get down on himself."

Fast forward three months, and Murray appears to be operating at full confidence. He scored at least 14 points in each of his last three games before the All-Star break, the second-longest streak of his young career. 

Murray's performance drew the attention of his college team at Kentucky, per KY Wildcats TV:

Oh, Murray's 36 points and 11 assists came in just 20 minutes played. There's a level of efficiency he played with that helped carry the World team, even as Buddy Hield and Kristaps Porzingis each scored over 20 points. 

This is a showcase game in which very little, if any, defense gets played. Murray isn't suddenly going to be a double-double machine for the Nuggets when the NBA season resumes. 

But Murray's performance Friday, combined with what he was doing before the All-Star break, is an indication the Nuggets are finally starting to see the player they thought they were getting when he was drafted seventh overall. 

The Nuggets are a borderline playoff team in the Western Conference, occupying the No. 8 seed with a 25-31 record. They still have a lot of work to do to make any noise in the conference, yet they do have interesting pieces like Murray and Nikola Jokic to build around.

Murray was the standout among a large group of stars Friday. He earned the MVP trophy from the Rising Stars game and will take that momentum into the second half with the Nuggets.