The Kings were one of the biggest surprises in the NBA last season. Despite being a historically bad team, stuck at the bottom of the league for years, that was starting a rookie, they outscored pretty much any opponent and secured the third seed in the West.
By now, their talent is not taking anyone by surprise anymore. Opponents know that they can shoot lights out from three, that De’Aaron Fox is a star, and that Domantas Sabonis can hand you a triple-double any night.
As a result of that awareness and the West getting better, this season doesn’t feel quite as magical. There were still some surprises, however, so let’s look at three of them.
3. Keegan Murray’s defensive improvement
As a rookie, Keegan Murray was the typical target. If opponents wanted an easy matchup, they hunted him. Now, just one summer later, the tables have turned. This season, Murray is the one looking for opposing teams’ best players so he can lock them down.
After an offseason of playing one-on-one with De’Aaron Fox, Murray now knows how to use his length, move his feet, and lead with his chest defensively. He has emerged as one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA, and Mike Brown regularly throws him at some of the best scorers in the game, like Stephen Curry and Donovan Mitchell.
Murray alone cannot fix the Kings’ defense, but having a true two-way star in the making is gold.