3 Kings who exceeded expectations this season
By Logan Struck
2. Keegan Murray
Although it is usually hard to say the fourth overall pick in the draft exceeded expectations, I’d say Keegan Murray is the exception. The rookie out of Iowa was able to have the best three-point shooting season for a rookie ever. In the process, he broke the record for most three-pointers made in a season for a rookie with 206, shattering the previous record of 187 set by Donovan Mitchell in 2017-18.
While I believe Murray still has a lot of room for improvement, he was the perfect stretch four and was ultimately exactly what the Kings needed in the 2022 NBA Draft. Although he finished only fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and may not have put up the stats we see from Paolo Banchero, Bennedict Mathurin, or Jaden Ivey, Murray is one of only two top 10 picks from his class that made the playoffs.
While averaging 12 points a game and shooting an impressive 41% from three-point range, which is good for first among rookies and in the top 20 across the league, Murray showed he is a special talent and has the ability to be one of the top shooters in the NBA.
The Kings need to make sure they hold on to Murray, as I expect him to continue to make leaps and develop his game into more than just a sharpshooter, as we were seeing flashes of his pull-up jumper and playmaking ability at points in the season.