How Good Can Keegan Murray be for the Kings?
Expectations were seemingly high for the fourth overall pick when he arrived in town, after most people thought the team would go a different direction with that pick.
After drafting Keegan Murray with the fourth pick in this year's draft, it was now time to see how Murray would play in the summer league. After playing in three games in the California Classic and four down in Vegas, Murray has definitely silenced his doubters for now.
Murray was as good as advertised and some would say he was better than that. It truly was impressive to see a player make this kind of impact right away. Even though it was just summer league, that is exactly what you want to see from your top draft selection.
Now let’s take a deeper dive into what Keegan was able to do in the Summer league and how it will translate to this upcoming season.
Expectations were seemingly high for the fourth overall pick when he arrived in town, after most people thought the team would go a different direction with that pick.
Murray certainly did not disappoint. After three games in the California Classic Murray helped lead his team to a 3-0 record and stuffed the stat sheet averaging almost 20 points per game and doing a little bit of everything on both sides of the floor very efficiently.
The competition wasn’t all that great down in the bay, and we didn’t really get to see the competition ramp up until the team traveled to Vegas where Murray would go against other top prospects.
California Classic- 3 games, 19.7 PPG, 51% FG%, 44% 3P%, 8.0 RPG, 2.7 TOPG
It was then time to see Murray in Vegas in a much larger NBA setting where he continued his stellar play. In four games, Murray averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, two assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
He finished fourth among all players in scoring average and scored at least 20 points in every game. He made the right play almost every single time and played at his own pace. He doesn’t ever get sped up or rattled in big moments as he showcased that against the No. 1 pick. It’s obvious why scouts had Murray labeled as the most NBA ready guy entering the league.
His ability to impact winning without having the ball in his hands is a great thing to see. His shooting, versatility, and character were on full display. His 23.3 points are the most by a top 10 pick since 2012. The Kings' fourth-round choice emerged as the top rookie after an 11-day battle and shined on the court.
This would crown him the summer league MVP. Murray may have a higher ceiling than most expected. The Kings may have found someone more than just a good solid role player but maybe even a star.
After watching Murray be so effective in summer league, fans can’t wait to see what he does with the actual Kings roster. He should aid the Sacramento Kings in a variety of ways, including transition, three-point shooting, and defense.
The rookie's cutting skill will also be a valuable asset. Murray is projected to mesh well with ball-dominant players since he is a multi-level scorer who does not require the ball in his hands to be productive.
Surrounding him with playmakers like Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox at a position the Kings desperately need to fill is a perfect match. Murray’s spot up shooting and cutting off the ball will bode well for this team especially when their two best players do almost all of their work in the paint.
Fox and Sabonis will be able to draw all of the attention themselves which means Murray will be open on a cut or wide open 3-pointer. He adds great versatility to the Kings lineup with his size and floor spacing which will make him hard to keep out of the starting lineup from day one.
Under first-year head coach Mike Brown, the Kings hope to make a playoff push next season and feel Murray can contribute right away. If his performance in summer league is any indicator, he should have a successful rookie season.