Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray Deserves a Chance
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During the pre-draft discourse, Jaden Ivey was universally held in higher regard than Keegan Murray.
At first glance, this makes sense. Who wouldn't be intrigued by a highly athletic 6'4 slashing combo guard, who's got a truckload of further potential to squeeze out the next five years?
Rating Ivey over Murray is in many ways logical, and at no point can, nor will, I fault people for doing so.
However, directly due to that discourse being so Ivey-centric, Murray became outright underrated by the end of it. When he was selected fourth by the Kings, one pick ahead of Ivey by Detroit, notions of "KAAAANGZ" flew far and wide.
That seems like a mistake, and here's why.
Murray, while certainly not as athletic nor explosive as Ivey, is a damn smart basketball player. And, if history has shown us anything, it's that smart players are far more likely to achieve their potential. Luka Dončić, Paul Pierce, Magic Johnson, and Nikola Jokić are just a few names that spring to mind.
(Before you begin to yell at my inclusion of Pierce, he lost a fair chunk of his initial athleticism somewhat early in his career, and instead relied on a still-underrated midrange game, that would see him tackle bigger players via his smarts and footwork, not dissimilar to how DeMar DeRozan does now.)
Murray is cut from that same cloth. He's never in a rush, doesn't panic, feels comfortable having the ball in his hands, and never, ever makes the game more complicated for himself than it is.
If he has a size advantage, he goes inside. If he doesn't, he'll try to go around. If he's matched up against someone of similar size, but quicker, he'll move the ball and cut to keep his man busy.
His approach is similar defensively, where he waits for the offense to make a mistake and materializes on it.
Is the opposing point guard swarmed? He'll cover the initial passing lane to rip off a steal, or deny the easy pass. If his teammates are beaten off the dribble, he'll rotate over, prioritizing rim defense, forcing teams to either re-set their possession or rely on outside shooting. Occasionally, players will go at him, and, well, let's just say he averaged 1.9 blocks last season which should tell you how successful they were at that endeavor.
Murray was, in some ways, pigeonholed as a scorer coming into the NBA. He probably still is due to his 23.5 points last season at Iowa. But there's a lot more to his game than that.
Murray, spectacularly so, turned the ball over just 1.1 times per game last season. That's despite 15.8 nightly shots, 1.5 assists (on even more passes), and that's not even counting the drives that led to his 5.4 free throw attempts per game. Murray quite simply managed to hang onto the ball.
His 5.7 TOV% on the year was mesmerizing, especially when you take into account that he was the number one person with a bullet who opponents would key in on defensively. Opposing game plans were centered around him, and yet, he'd maintain an uncanny ability of control, in large part due to a composure that never seemed to change.
While I utterly refuse to compare Murray to Giannis Antetokounmpo, as that would be dramatically unfair, the two appear to share a trait of never letting basketball dictate their emotions, even while on the court. Antetokounmpo, who grew up with nothing, often went days without food. In his mind, missing a few jumpers in a row simply doesn't compare to not knowing where your next meal came from. Murray isn't Antetokounmpo and doesn't have his story, but basketball success clearly isn't how he defines himself either. He rarely, if ever, seems to get rattled or unnerved, seemingly playing with the constant knowledge that his future isn't determined by a few plays prior.
That alone is an asset. But that, combined to a game that's wicked skilled? That's the recipe for success.
Of course, many seem to use his landing destination as some argument for why he'll fail. That either the Kings will mess him up, or he won't be properly motivated by playing for them.
So, about that.
Murray was asked about this routinely during his pre-draft process. Unlike other prospects, he took the Kings scenario as a challenge:
While Ivey was heavily rumored to not want to end up a King - which he shouldn't be blamed for, as everyone have their own preferences - Murray was all-in. He wants to drag the Kings out from the cellar they've found themselves in for the past 16 years, and is actively looking forward to that challenge.
In what world is that a bad thing?
Sure, the Kings could mess up again and waste his talent. That can't be ruled out, as they've done that a lot over the years. But that shouldn't be some predetermined notion where Murray is the one to fall on the sword.
Also to be considered.. what if he actually does it? The path is laid out for him, and last year proved he was capable of being a low-mistake player which is exactly what the Kings need more of.
In a setting where he's flanked by De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Davion Mitchell, and Harrison Barnes, it's entirely feasible that Murray is allowed to pick and choose his spots, thus allowing him to carry over many of the same strengths that he displayed last season.
Let's not make the mistake of including Murray into the stink of the Kings, which he was never a part of. Let's instead give Murray the chance to let him become Kings deodorant.
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