Jamal Murray takes home hardware for his breakout November

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DENVER — Denver Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November, the league announced Thursday. Philadelphia 76er’s center Joel Embiid received the Eastern Conference honors.

Murray started the season in a brutal shooting slump, going 0-17 from the field, but is now second among rookies in points per game at 10.4 points per game to Embiid and is also averaging 2.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds while playing 22.2 minutes per game. The Kitchener, Ontario native is the first member of the Nuggets to receive the honor since Kenneth Faried did in April of 2012.

The No. 7 overall pick has forced coach Michael Malone to keep playing him extended minutes this season due to his shooting and playmaking ability. Denver has been starved for a knock-down shooter for years and his playmaking with the ball has been a welcomed sight. Murray leads all rookies in three-point shots made with 32 while shooting an impressive 41.6 percent from beyond the arc on 77 attempts.

“All those experiences for Jamal, he just continues to grow up in front of our eyes,” Malone said after Murray’s 24 points in Denver’s win over Chicago earlier this season. “When he gets confident and puts that ball up, I think it’s going in every time he shoots it.”