Keegan Murray would thrive on any team

Remember when Keegan Murray gave the impression during the 2023 draft process that he would “just” be a good NBA starter? That was funny. Now, two years into his career, Keegan Murray is already a quality NBA starter. That label is no longer derogatory, especially for Kings fans who have watched Murray quickly become an integral part of the most successful era of Kings basketball in more than two decades.

Already a respected top shooter, Murray enters the third tier of a Kings team with the highest expectations since 50 Cent was the biggest rapper in the world.

Murray's shooting volume in Sacramento's offense may decline this season, although that has little to do with Murray himself; The Kings signed DeMar DeRozan this summer, and the six-time All-Star will inevitably take a big chunk of Sacramento's shot attempts. However, that doesn't mean Murray's role will become less important. Quite the opposite. DeRozan is one of the best 2-point shooters of this generation but doesn't often venture beyond mid-range, meaning the area where Murray thrives – behind the arc – still provides plenty of opportunities for the third-year forward offers.

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Really good. Through some measures, historical well through two seasons. Let's start this section with some numbers.

Keegan Murray made 206 3-pointers as a rookie, the most in NBA history. Damian Lillard holds the NBA record for most three-point shots by a player two seasons with 403. Not far behind him in second place is Keegan Murray with 389. If Murray makes 213 3s this season – a doable number – he will pass Buddy Hield for the most 3s in a player's first season three Seasons. If he can make just 3,359 3s, he will overtake Steph Curry as the all-time record holder. Closer!

Seven players have ever made 12 3s in an NBA game: Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Donyell Marshall and Keegan Murray. I'm not sure if this makes this list less impressive or if we should give a lot of credit to Donyell Marshall, who averaged 0.9 threes per game in his career. Sorry, we got distracted.

Murray isn't a shot-chucker either. He has a career shooting percentage of 38.4 percent (on 6.4 attempts per game), and that's after posting a shooting percentage of 35.8 percent in his second year, which was probably one of his worst shooting seasons ever in percentage terms will be.

Many basketball players can make shots. Great shooters excel at finding their own shots, and Murray seems to fall into the latter category. He is great at moving around the perimeter in open spaces and is always ready to accept a pass and quickly move upfield into a shooting motion. Even Shoot 15 3-point attempts in an NBA game is worth celebrating. Finding spaces often requires skill. Twelve of these attempts are (almost) unprecedented.

At this point in his career, Murray isn't getting much out of the dribble, and that may not be because he's incapable of it, but rather because Sacramento doesn't need it. On a team that includes De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and now DeMar DeRozan, Murray isn't expected to be the nerve center of the offensive creation. If he eventually becomes a guy who often scores in isolation, that will be a bonus to the performance he already brings.

The term “3-and-D” has lost all meaning in the NBA as players are labeled that despite not being good at the “3” or “D” part of the equation, but the role itself remains one of the most important pieces an NBA team can add to its team building puzzle. Keegan Murray could be on his way to becoming a premier 3-and-D winger if his sophomore season is any indication of what's to come.

Murray emerged as a reliable defensive player for the Kings last year and emerged as the team's best perimeter stopper over the course of the season. He is very good at being physical without fouling and staying with his man in isolation or fighting through screens to avoid transitions in pick-and-roll action. Murray looks like a nice guy, but he's an idiot when it comes to defending the ball.

And if this clip is any indication, Murray's defensive responsibilities could continue to increase. It's just preseason, but Sacramento trusts him with the job Steph Curry A full field is a pretty good sign no matter when it happens.

Sacramento has been a good regular season team for two seasons now. In the 2022–23 season, the Kings battled Golden State in the first round but lost in seven games. Last year they beat the Warriors in the play-in tournament, but then lost to New Orleans in the play-in game, which would have sent them back to the playoffs. Now that there's a new star on the roster, there's hope for a playoff series win and maybe even more in Sac Town.

Keegan Murray doesn't have to transform into a completely new player for the Kings to be good. But for the kings Great, He needs to be the defensive stopper he could be last season and get his 3-point percentage closer to his rookie season mark (41.1 percent). Maybe he'll give Sacramento the aforementioned bonus and flash a few more creation chops as well. Murray is already an extremely important player on the Kings' roster and his performance this season could make a difference in the Kings' fortunes.

Keegan Murray was ranked 22nd on FanSided's 2024-25 25 Under 25 Players list, making him the best young player in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list Here.