Don’t forget, Murray was the leading scorer in college, averaging 23.5 points per game in his sophomore season with a usage rate of 29.7. He performed better in more difficult situations than he was given during his rookie season. Moreover, because he has established an excellent outside shooting foundation, he has been able to change the opponent’s defensive formation with amazing appeal…
Keegan Murray is one of the best young players in the NBA. He is also one of the best rookie shooters in NBA history, and this season he may show fans his other abilities.
Murray’s pre-draft scouting report did lead to him being looked down upon by many, but at the time many were excited about the idea that the Pacers had a chance to acquire him, thinking he could fill the biggest hole on their roster – a qualified No. 4 player. Has defensive versatility and plays an important role next to Myles Turner, while developing a diverse offensive style with the assistance of Tyrese Haliburton, stretching the floor, attacking with the ball inside the three-point line, and even scoring with his back to the basket.
However, no one expected that his three-point shot would perform so well and become his most reliable and obvious skill. Seeing him is like seeing a mix of Brad Miller, Chris Webber, and Darius Songaila, but not Peja Stojakovic.
Murray is a particularly good outside shooter. He ended up setting the rookie record for three-pointers made last season (206), but he was more than just a static wait-and-see shooter. From the first game of his career, he was able to take handoff three-pointers with ease and roam the corners to find open space.
Murray excels on the outside. He ranks third in the league in three-point field goals made among players 6-foot-8 or taller. His catch-and-shoot percentage is 41.3%, which is about the same as Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Buddy Hield. Because of his ability to take shots on the move, he scores above the 75th percentile league average on every possession in handoffs and spot-up shooting.
Those abilities mentioned above, coupled with his potential, may make him an important piece of the Kings’ future.
this seasonKeegan MurrayCapable of doing far more than a spot-up shooter is capable of doing
Last season, he didn’t have much of an opportunity to do anything else offensively besides finding space beyond the three-point line. Nearly two-thirds of the shots were three-pointers, and only 27 non-assisted two-pointers were made in non-fast breaks. He fills a very specific and limited role, and given the talented players surrounding him, he likely won’t get many opportunities to expand that role this season either.
But that doesn’t mean he’s not ready to do more.
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Murray doesn’t necessarily have the speed or dribbling skills to escape defenders on the perimeter. But his three-point threat gives him a chance to deal with overly aggressive defenses, and he shot 47 percent off the dribble last season. He has a knack for deceiving opponents with fake moves, using the dribble to get himself into comfortable positions and shooting over defenders.
In the Kings’ offense, the elbow area is almost exclusively owned by Domantas Sabonis—only Nikola Jokic touched the ball in the elbow area more times last season, and Sabonis had nearly 100 more touches than No. 3 Joel Embiid.
But Murray often played at the elbow and mid-range in college and excelled when given the chance last season. He only had 36 elbow touches, but he created 15 of his own shot attempts after those touches and made 10 of them.
He’s unlikely to get past defenders purely with his speed, but his skills are flexible enough to use his shooting threat to over-defend defenders and he has excellent finishing touches at the basket.
As a rookie, it wasn’t worth the Kings trying to improve his offensive touches last season, and they have one of the most efficient offenses in NBA history, and their lineup doesn’t change much this year (other than adding more shooting players such as Sasha and Duarte), so there may also be no current incentive for him to try out a more central role.
But don’t forget that Murray was the main scorer in college. In his sophomore season, he averaged 23.5 points per game with a usage rate of 29.7. He performed better in more difficult situations than he was given during his rookie season. Moreover, because he has established an excellent outside shooting foundation, he has been able to change the opponent’s defensive formation with amazing appeal.
With his high skill level and college experience, he has the ability to utilize the offensive appeal more effectively than other young players. The following players have shot a lot of three-pointers early in their careers, including Saddiq Bey, Landry Shamet or Corey Kispert, but none of them were able to take advantage of it effectively.
The 6-foot-8 Murray can be a threat in hand-off situations at the elbow, filling in for either Kevin Huerter or Sabonis. He can use screens to block defenders, or take advantage of a defender’s overly aggressive defensive reactions to get to the basket or hit a smooth mid-range jumper against a big man in the paint. He can beat bigger players off the dribble and punish smaller opponents in the paint.
2023-10-30 04:57:54
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