3 Players who are benefitting from Kings’ unfortunate injury situation
By Elaine Blum
1. Keegan Murray
Keegan Murray has already improved a lot this season. He has become a much better defender and expanded his offensive game beyond being mainly a catch-and-shoot threat.
As he is only in his second season, there have still been growing pains, however. His three-point shot isn’t falling at the same level it did last season, and sometimes, he just disappears offensively. It is easy to get discouraged when the shots aren’t going in the basket and to stop shooting.
Murray did that several times already this season, but it is not as easy anymore. When he had an offensive safety blanket of Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter around him, it didn't hurt the team as much. Now, they are missing two big offensive threats, and Murray is one of the players who has to make up for the loss.
It is forcing him to work through shooting struggles and stay engaged offensively. In April, the forward has not been shooting incredibly efficiently, but he has been shooting and averaging around 18 points a game.
The Kings’ front office believes that Murray is a future All-Star. That’s why they refused to move him in any big deal. Now, he is being forced out of his comfort zone and learning what it takes to be a team’s third star. That will be incredibly valuable for the Kings’ future, especially if Monk leaves in free agency.