The Sacramento Kings are struggling this season as they have stumbled to a 5-16 record and are currently 13th in the Western Conference. They find themselves in this position thanks to a combination of injuries to key players and one of the toughest schedules in the league. Despite the struggles, there have been some bright spots and none more so than Keegan Murray since his own return from injury.
The fourth-year forward missed the first 15 games of the season with a torn ligament in his thumb but has been on an absolute tear since returning on November 20th. He is still looking for his shooting rhythm but is averaging 18.3 points and 7 rebounds while playing 38 minutes per game. The shooting issues are coming largely from 3 as he is shooting just 26% but is not afraid to let it fly as one of the better shooters in Sacramento.
Murray is also making a difference defensively with 13 steals and 8 blocks during this stretch while usually drawing the assignment of the opposing team’s best player. His best defensive performance came against Memphis on November 30th as he recorded 5 steals and 3 blocks on the night. That performance ultimately came in a close loss but it was hard to lay that at the feet of Murray who played well despite a tough shooting night.
The former Iowa star also leads the team in boxscore plus/minus at 1.3 since returning and it’s no coincidence that two of the most impressive wins for the Kings this season came with him in the starting lineup. In those wins over Minnesota and Denver, Murray was impressive on both ends of the court and was the best player in purple on both nights.
Murray’s recent growth has given the Kings something they have been looking for since trading De’Aaron Fox, a young player that they can build around for the future. It took Fox three years to find his footing as a scorer and five years to become an all star and Murray is on a similar trajectory.
The only thing standing in his way is the pecking order in Sacramento as players like Zach Lavine, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, and even Malik Monk are all ahead of Murray in terms of usage. Three of those guys have been mentioned often in trade rumors and their departures would clear the path for Murray to get more involved in the offense. He has already gone from the catch and shoot guy to a playmaker and ballhandler as he has matured this season. Murray has only scratched the surface of his talent and the fans in Sacramento can rest easy knowing the future of the franchise is in good hands when the organization finally hands him the keys.
