Jamal Murray's playoff performances caught Joel Anthony by surprise, but the two-time NBA champion still thinks "the ceiling is still extremely high" for the Denver Nuggets star.

The Nuggets showed great resilience to make it to the Western Conference Finals, where they were beaten 4-1 by eventual NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers.

Murray played a pivotal role for Denver, averaging 26.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the playoffs as Michael Malone's team became the first in history to win two series in the same postseason after trailing 3-1.

The fourth-year guard twice dropped 50 points on the Utah Jazz in the first round and scored 40 points in a Game 7 win against the Los Angeles Clippers in the semifinals.

Anthony, who claimed his two rings alongside LeBron James with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, was thoroughly impressed by fellow Canadian Murray's playoff displays so early in his career.

"We all had a pretty good idea that kid was going to be pretty good. I'm not even sure if this type of performance, we would have thought to see this early. But I'm absolutely loving what he has been able to do," Anthony told Stats Perform News.

"I feel the ceiling is still extremely high. I love the fact that he has been able to have these moments and do it in the biggest stage, which is the playoffs. That is when you are really tested in the league, and I feel he is proving himself a lot.

"I got to meet him a couple of times and as a person, he is a great kid, great individual, great human being. Definitely a pure spirit about the game. Just how he deals with people, he's definitely a special player.

"Denver is fortunate to have a talent that like, but also a great person like that as well."

Anthony believes Murray's impressive development is part of a wider trend that has seen Canadian basketball move onto an upward trajectory.

"Canadian basketball as a whole, I love it, I absolutely love it. The talent that is coming out of this country is really impressive to me," said Anthony.

"Obviously by the numbers you can see just the fact that we have the second-most NBA players of any country, obviously behind the US. That is a huge jump from when I first came in the league, we had two others ... three actually.

"This is something that has actually been a process, and I have actually been able to see this whole process develop, as more and more kids were coming out. I just feel that Canadian basketball is just starting to hit a certain point in the curve, where they are really able to catch up.

"I have been fortunate. I came in undrafted and really had to fight my way to get it. No one really knew about me, I was definitely an unknown. But you have guys coming in that are number one pick in the draft, top-five picks, lottery…

"There is just a lot of talent and I am really happy for the direction that our country is going and it is going to be great to watch."

Anthony hoped to play a part in helping the next generation after joining Canadian Elite Basketball League side the Hamilton Honey Badgers as a player consultant for the 2020 season.

"Coming in my biggest thing was really to just be able to be able to give back to the younger guys. So to be able to help them in any way as they develop as players, trying to help them through these different experiences that they will be going through," said Anthony.

"We have some older players that are a little bit more established, but we also have plenty of younger guys that were just starting to become pros and going through that process, so I really want to be able to help them, give them the type of advice that I would have wanted and that I actually got from different veterans that I had throughout my career.

"I really enjoy that type of role and I was also able to do things on the court with them as well. When you are removed, I was able to actually be on there with them. So physically they are able to see different things, and to have me around was a benefit."