Way-too-early prediction of the Sacramento Kings 2023-24 starting lineup
By Logan Struck
Power Forward: Keegan Murray
Unless there is a package for a star-caliber player, Keegan Murray will stay in Sacramento for a long time. The All-Rookie First Team member broke the record for most three-pointers made in a season by a rookie. The 2022 4th overall pick showed why he was drafted that high and exceeded expectations in his first year as a fourth option on a winning team.
Keegan Murray showed glimpses of greatness, averaging 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game on 45/41/76 shooting splits. His 41.1% from deep led the team, proving he can be an elite shooter in this league.
While Murray still has a lot of room for improvement, as I would love to see him take leaps on defense and his rebounding, he was the perfect draft selection for the Kings last year. The stretch four provided depth at the forward position while being able to step up and start alongside Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis.
A trio of Kevin Huerter, Reggie Bullock, and Keegan Murray give the Kings one of the deadliest shooting lineups in the NBA.
Center: Domantas Sabonis
With no surprise, the All-NBA Third Team center is sticking around. In his first full season in Sacramento, Domantas Sabonis continued being one of the most consistent players in the league. Putting up 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and a career-high 7.3 assists per game, Sabonis proved to be one of the NBA’s elite big men.
Sabonis shot 61.5% from the field and 37.3% from deep. The do-it-all big man did it all this season. He was second in the NBA in triple-doubles with 14, just behind Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
As Sabonis gets more comfortable in Sacramento, the team will continue to improve. It is no coincidence that the Kings made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years as soon as Sabonis came along. While I would like to see Sabonis be paired with a defensive-minded big man in the frontcourt, he was very effective in this position.
While Sabonis would be a valuable trade asset, the Sacramento Kings must keep him around to continue their success and build off this season.
