“Fantastic” Murray on track to become Kings star originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Don’t look now, but a two-way star is being born in the NBA.
Keegan Murray entered the league two seasons ago as a recruit chosen in the lottery on a Sacramento Kings team that hadn’t made the playoffs in 16 years. Fans were optimistic and hopeful, but the reality was much bigger.
Murray helped end the Kings’ playoff drought with his scoring, primarily as a 3-point shooter. He broke the 3-point record for an NBA rookie with 206 made triples and earned All-NBA Rookie First Team honors.
Murray’s performance as a freshman raised eyebrows, but it also raised expectations as the young forward entered his sophomore season. The Kings wanted him to find ways to score other than from beyond the arc while emphasizing defense.
Check and check.
Now entering third grade, Murray has seen what he’s fully capable of on both ends, and he’s implementing it in a way that could be dangerous for the rest of the league.
And if Friday’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors was any indication of Murray’s sky-high potential, he’s heading in the right direction.
Murray was all over the floor in a 109-106 loss at Chase Centerwith aggression both in attack and defense. Measuring Murray’s growth can be tricky, especially defensively, since many of the little things don’t always show up on a stat sheet.
But to put a number on things: Murray has been given several tough defensive assignments, like that of 6-foot-6, 230-pound Draymond Green, who, to put it lightly, can make one long night for whoever keeps it.
Murray, who is 6-8 and 215 pounds, accepted the challenge and finished with a game-high five interceptions.
Murray also had the difficult task of defending – as one can do his best – Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who left the game early with a stuck right index finger. Curry played 16 minutes and finished with just six points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field (28.5%) and 1-of-4 3-pointers (25%), three rebounds, four assists and four turnovers.
Although it’s a small sample size, forcing the opposing team’s best player to turn the ball over more than usual is a good sign. Sure, Kings guard Keon Ellis can take a lot of credit for Curry’s mistakes, but it’s also an overall testament to the impact he and Murray can have against some of the world’s greatest players.
And it shows how important Murray’s defensive progress will be to Sacramento’s overall success.
“We put him on a lot of different bodies,” Kings coach Mike Brown said after the game. “He had to guard Draymond. He had to watch Steph. He was guarding Kyle Anderson. He chased down Buddy Hield. We moved it a little. So he was fantastic, especially in his team position. He was always in the right place. I don’t like it when guys gamble on a steal just trying to get it, because probably seven times out of 10 you’re going to miss it. And now when you miss it, it puts you out of position defensively, and they have a five-on-four advantage.
“And Keegan, he was often in the right place. And those who were on the ground, those who went to help, did an excellent job. Hands high, guys were in the right spot at the back, and a lot of times the ball was coming to him because they were trying to jump the ball. (But) because he was in the right spot, he just took the passing route because the hands were high, it was a late pass, and he took the passing route and we went into the other meaning.
“So he was great on the ball and off the ball defensively. That’s what I like. No matter who he guarded, he guarded (Jonathan) Kuminga too. So no matter who he was guarding, I thought it was a physical presence, and he did it without fouling. And then offensively, he was aggressive. He was aggressive on the descent and he hit the right shots. So that was a lot of fun to watch tonight.
Murray finished with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 from downtown, one rebound, two assists and one block in 26 minutes. He was also aggressive to the basket and line, as he hit a team-high eight free throws and made six of them.
New Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, who mentioned last week that he is excited to work with Murray and being part of the 24-year-old’s growth, said after Friday’s game that he was “preaching” aggression and going to the free throw line to his younger teammate.
Brown doesn’t want to put a label on Murray or set expectations. He simply knows what the Kings need from their young forward if they hope to return to playoff contention this season.
“He’s a young player who’s improving, and he’s a two-way player who continues to show he can score at all three levels,” Brown said. “And he understands that he has to continue to be aggressive and not settle offensively, and he showed a little bit of that tonight by putting that shoulder back in the defense on practice.
“We all know he can shoot the ball. We all know he can defend. So it just does what it’s supposed to do. He’s a very, very smart young man with good feelings, and every time he gets on that floor he gets a little better.
