3 Reasons Keegan Murray is a future star
By Elaine Blum
Ever since last season’s playoff series, Kings fans have been advocating for a move that would get Sacramento a third star, and not without reason.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are All-Stars. They will likely need some help down the line, however, if the Kings really want to compete for a championship. Malik Monk can get hot in a second and take over games, but he is an impactful role player, not a star. So, where will that third star come from?
Pascal Siakam is now a Pacer, Zach LaVine is not a great fit, and Mika Bridges probably won’t be leaving Brooklyn anytime soon. The trade options are not great, but luckily, the Kings have a third star in the making.
If they give him some time, Keegan Murray can be the star wing they have been waiting for. Here are three reasons why.
3. His three-point shooting
Wings and forwards who can stretch the floor will always have a place in the NBA. As a rookie, Murray shot 41.1 percent from three on 6.3 attempts per game and set a new record for most threes made in a rookie season. He was amazing, much better than you would expect a rookie to shoot.
This season, his shooting percentage is down to 36.7 percent, but that doesn’t mean he suddenly lost his touch. The game is just very different for young Keegan Murray now.
First of all, defenses now know his game and pay more attention to him. When players prepare to face the Kings, the scouting report on Murray probably says something along the lines of: don’t let him get an open three.
Secondly, he started the new season with a much bigger role on defense. Guarding some of the best players out there takes a lot of energy and that took away from his shot for a while. You could see that he didn’t have quite the same lift on his shots after exerting so much energy on defense. By now, he looks much more comfortable with the double responsibilities.
Even though he is not hitting quite as many threes as he did last season, Murray is still a good outside shooter and that is a valuable skill in today’s NBA. There are few stars who aren’t centers and don’t have a solid three-point shot.