Basketball World Reacts to Keegan Murray Pick

Sacramento Selects Iowa Basketball Standout No. 4 Overall in NBA Draft

Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair said he didn’t believe the analysis that Iowa’s Keegan Murray, the Kings’ first-round pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, has a “low ceiling” as a player.

McNair pointed to Murray’s numbers last season. He averaged 23.5 points last season, fourth-best among NCAA Division I players. He led the nation with 822 points, adding 303 rebounds, 68 blocks, 66 3-point field goals, 52 assists, and 45 steals last season.

“I would say go back and look at some guys who people thought had low ceilings,” McNair said. “I don't know how you would say that about a guy who led the country in points scored, who had the steal-block-rebound numbers that he does.

“Keegan was in the Big Ten, the best conference in the country, being one of the most productive players you know all season long against some of the toughest competition. We don't see it that way (that he has a low ceiling). We think Keegan has an extremely high ceiling. We think he's going to come in here and prove that to everyone. I'm sure he's excited, and I'm excited to see it.”

Draft analysts gave the Murray selection high marks.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo gave the Kings a B-plus grade for the pick, saying, “While Jaden Ivey in a vacuum is the higher upside play here, the Kings fielded a host of trade offers, ultimately weren’t moved, and loved Murray enough to feel comfortable simply taking their guy here. I’m not going to bash the Kings for what I felt was objectively a very difficult choice: fitting Ivey in a backcourt with De’Aaron Fox and trying to share the ball and win games would have been difficult, and Sacramento is trying to make the playoffs. It’s hard to accurately grade this without knowing what trade offers were on the board, but Murray is a really, really good player, and was ultimately the best match for the Kings. It won’t surprise me if Ivey, who I had at No. 2, has the better career, but I also think that starting out in Sacramento would have been less than ideal for him. The Kings ultimately did well in navigating a situation that was pretty difficult, and Murray should help them in a big way from day one.”

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie rated the Murray pick as an 8 out of 10, saying, “I buy Murray becoming an impactful and starter-quality NBA player who puts up numbers as a scorer. He’s going to knock down shots, attack closeouts and take advantage of any leverage-based mismatch he gets. Tobias Harris is the current NBA player I see most when I watch Murray. He is at his best when keeping things simple, with no frills. Murray will push the ball in transition, catch and shoot, make the occasional mid-post self-created bucket and hit opposing guards on post mismatches. I also buy him as a shooter from all over the court in a variety of situations, meaning coaches will be able to move him around. Ultimately, his value will come down to whether he can be a switch guy on defense who can at least hold up at the point of attack, even if he’s not a lockdown stopper.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said of Murray: “Murray was the most productive player in college basketball, becoming the first player since Glen Rice in 1989 to average over 23 points per game, shooting over 60% from 2 and 39% from 3. He also fits a position and role every NBA team is looking for as a big wing who can operate as an ultra-versatile power forward or slide up as a small-ball center, which he did with great success at Iowa. Jumbo lineups with Murray at small forward are also a distinct possibility in the NBA, as he shows the ability to cover ground effectively in space, was often utilized at the top of Iowa's press and shows strong instincts as a shot-blocker as well.”

Fox Sports analyst John Fanta gave Sacramento a grade of B-plus for the Murray pick.

Fanta wrote, “After earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in 2020-21, Murray rocketed into becoming one of college basketball’s best players as a sophomore. He took what appeared to be a retooling Iowa program and powered Fran McCaffrey’s Hawkeyes to the program’s first Big Ten Tournament championship since 2006. Murray used his 6-foot-8 frame to his advantage, combining size with a smooth level of body control to be a difficult force to stop on the go.

“The Iowa native was as efficient as any player in college hoops this past season and proved he could score in a variety of ways. Defensively, there’s room for improvement for Murray, and he won’t be confused as a great passer. But, in a scoring-driven league, that area of Murray’s game is going to translate at the next level. The Kings need perimeter shooting, and Murray fits that mold to a tee. They shot 34 percent from the floor last year, so this addresses a need. He fits well potentially with De’Aaron Fox, but is he the fourth-best player in this draft? Not so sure about that.”