Watch: Keegan Murray drives in and throws down a vicious two-handed slam over Klay Thompson
Keegan Murray was the Sacramento Kings’ deadliest three-point shooter last season with a minimum of 200 attempts. He shot 41.1% from behind the arc and made life easier for All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. After a strong rookie season, Kings coach Mike Brown has been ecstatic with his improvements. Brown expects Murray to be a more well-rounded player.
In a preseason rematch against the Golden State Warriors, Murray showed off one area that Brown was thrilled about:
A solid pick from Sabonis, one of the NBA’s best in setting screens, gave Keegan Murray enough space to attack the rim. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis could not fully commit to help Jonathan Kuminga on defense after Sabonis also ran into the lane for a possible putback attempt.
Left to protect the rim was veteran shooting guard Klay Thompson. With a decent runway to go up, Murray didn’t hesitate to rise over Thompson for the emphatic dunk. “Killa Klay” was a little too late to probably force a charging foul as he was busy tracking Harrison Barnes who was cutting across the lane.
Mike Brown has emphasized movement in his offense. They showed it last season in the playoffs but eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors. They’re likely going to be better in that aspect moving forward. Brown will need Sabonis and Fox to continue their excellent playmaking.
Keegan Murray’s ability to shoot from deep and improved rim-attacking could only open up more opportunities for the Sacramento Kings.
Keegan Murray could give the Sacramento Kings their Big Three
Some analysts thought the Sacramento Kings reached when they made Keegan Murray the No. 4 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Sacramento nabbed the player they thought was going to complement Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox.
Murray quieted the critics with a solid rookie season where he drained an NBA rookie record of 2016 three-pointers. Slowly but steadily, he showed that he could help create the offense on his own. His unassisted triples improved as the season moved forward.
Mike Brown wanted Keegan Murray to work hard on his playmaking and rim-attacking skills. In the Summer League, it looked like the second-year forward had taken his instructions well. He was so dominant that the Sacramento Kings shelved him after two games.
Fans were impressed by the new version of Murray who didn’t just rely on his catch-and-shoot expertise. He was aggressive on offense, sometimes bullying defenders to score buckets. Sacramento’s coaching staff couldn’t be any happier with what they saw.
Murray, if his development continues, gives the Kings the chance to have their Big Three. Together with Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, they could make a deeper playoff run than last season.