OKC Thunder Draft: 2 NBA star comparisons for Jalen Suggs

NBA player comparison No. 2) Jamal Murray

While he may not be the defensive specimen that Jalen Suggs is, there are a ton of similarities between his game and Denver Nuggets star guard, Jamal Murray, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Though showcasing a fine shooting stroke/ mechanics, the Gonzaga star’s long-range game wasn’t all that impressive in 2020-21, as he shot just 34 percent from beyond the arc.

Interestingly enough, however, he still managed to cap off the year with a true shooting percentage of 60 and an effective field goal percentage of 56 which, while impacted by his sound mid-range game, was helped immensely by his ability to drive the lane and finish at the rim in acrobatic fashion with both hands.

Murray, though always known as a quality 3-point shooter, is also a guard of the same build who can seemingly finish at and around the rim with his athleticism, hand switching skills, and impressive bounce for someone at the guard position.

Both are quality half-court athletes who can break down a defense by breezing by their defenders with either their quick first-step or their impressive array of handles.

In our humble opinion, aside from their stupendous finishing abilities, perhaps the biggest similarity between Jamal Murray and Jalen Suggs is their affinity for and excellence when shooting off the pull-up (Suggs finished in the 94th percentile in this department while Murray shot nearly 50 percent in such situations this season).

It’s obvious that Jalen Suggs has real potential to be a phenomenal three-level scorer in the NBA and, should he find a way to convert on his 3-point attempts at a more consistent level, one could argue that a guy like Jamal Murray is the floor for the combo guard.