by 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 rookie lottery pick on a Sacramento Kings team that hadn’t been to the playoffs in 16 years. Fans were optimistic and hopeful, but the reality was much more.
Murray’s goals helped end the Kings’ playoff drought, especially as a local 3-point shooter. He broke the NBA rookie 3-point record with 206 made treys and earned All-NBA Rookie First Team honors.
Murray’s first-year performance raised eyebrows, but also raised expectations as the young forward entered his second season. The Kings wanted him to find ways to not only score from beyond the arc, but also emphasize defense at the same time.
Check and check.
Now entering his third year, Murray has seen what he’s fully capable of on both ends, and he’s executing 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 tremendous potential, then he’s on the right track.
Murray was on the court, aggressive on both offense and defense, in a 109-106 loss at Chase Center. It can be difficult to measure Murray’s growth, especially on defense, since many of the little things don’t always show up on a stat sheet.
But to put it in numbers, Murray was given several difficult defensive assignments, such as fielding the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Draymond Green, who can, to say the least, make it a success long Night for whoever guards him.
Murray, who is 6-8 and 215 pounds, accepted the challenge and finished with a game-high five steals.
Murray also had the big task of defending – as one can at one’s best – Warriors superstar Steph Curry, who left the game early with a jammed right index finger. Curry played 16 minutes and finished the game with just six points on 2 of 7 shooting from the field (28.5 percent) and 1 of 4 from 3-point range (25 percent), three rebounds, four assists and four turnovers .
While that’s a small sample size, it’s a good sign to force the opposing team’s best player to turn the ball over more often than usual. Of course, Kings guard Keon Ellis is largely to blame for Curry’s mistakes, but it’s also a general testament to the impact he and Murray can have against some of the best players in the world.
And it shows how important Murray’s defensive improvements will be to Sacramento’s overall success.
“We used him in a lot of different bodies,” Kings coach Mike Brown said after the game. “He had to guard Draymond. He had to protect Steph. He guarded Kyle Anderson. He chased Buddy Hield around. We moved him a little. So he was fantastic, especially in his shift position. He was always in the right place. I don’t like it when guys put on a bargain bet and just try to get the bargain because seven times out of ten you’ll miss out. And now if you miss it, you’re out of position defensively and they have a five-on-four advantage.
“And Keegan was often exactly in the right place. And whoever had the ball, whoever came to help, they did a great job. With high hands, the guys at the back were in the right spot and often the ball came to him because they were trying to jump the ball. [But] because he was in the right spot, he just took the passing lane because the hands were up, it was a hangtime pass, and he took the passing lane and we went the other way.”
“So he was great on the ball and defensively. That’s what I like. No matter who he was guarding, he was guarding [Jonathan] Kuminga too. No matter who he was guarding, I thought he was a physical presence and he did it without soiling himself [he committed just three fouls]. And then he was aggressive offensively. He was aggressive downhill and hit the right shots. So it was a lot of fun watching him tonight.”
Murray finished the game 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 also went aggressively to the basket and line, shooting a team-high eight free throws and making six of them.
New Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, who mentioned last week that he was excited to work with Murray and be part of the 24-year-old’s development, said after Friday’s game that he “preached” aggressiveness and getting to the free throw line “. his young teammate.
Brown doesn’t want to label Murray or create expectations. He simply knows what the Kings need from their young forward if they hope to return to the playoffs this season.
“He’s a young player who’s getting better and better, 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 needs to continue to be aggressive and not get bogged down in offense, and he showed some of that tonight by putting the back shoulder into defense in his attacks.
“We all know he can shoot the ball. We all know he can defend. So he just does what he’s supposed to do. He’s a very, very smart young man with great instincts, and every time he steps on this floor he gets a little better.”
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