Kings rookie Keegan Murray could join starting lineup for game against Memphis Grizzlies
Kings fans have clamored for rookie forward Keegan Murray to join the team’s starting lineup since watching him shine in summer league competition. It might not be long before they get their wish.
Kings coach Mike Brown addressed the possibility of starting Murray after the Kings suffered a 130-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco. Murray came off the bench for the second night in a row after making his NBA debut in Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but Brown put him in the starting unit to begin the third quarter against the Warriors.
Brown was asked if it’s just a matter of time before Murray, who came out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, becomes a starter.
“Yeah, he started the second half, so there’s a chance he could start going forward,” Brown said.
Brown will have three days to make that decision before the Kings (0-3) face the Memphis Grizzlies (2-1) on Thursday at Golden 1 Center, but his remarks following the Golden State game might indicate he has already made up his mind.
The Kings started KZ Okpala at the power forward position in their first three games, but that experiment hasn’t worked so far. Okpala has a total of three points, six rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes in losses to the Portland Trail Blazers, Clippers and Warriors. In Sunday’s game, he played 3:13 in the first quarter and 21.7 seconds in the third quarter.
The Kings were outscored 10-0 to start the game and trailed 89-71 at the half. Brown believes Okpala has the tools to become an elite defensive stopper, but the Kings haven’t stopped anyone yet. They gave up 115 points against Portland, 111 against Los Angeles and 130 against Golden State. They rank 19th in defensive rating (114.5) and 23rd in opponent points per game (118.7), an improvement over last season, but not good enough for Brown.
Murray missed Sacramento’s last two preseason games and the season opener against the Blazers while recovering from COVID-19. He said missing the opener was difficult for him because one of his goals this season was to play all 82 games.
Murray returned to post 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in his debut against the Clippers. He followed that performance with 16 points, four rebounds and one steal in 38 minutes against the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.
Murray is averaging 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 54.2% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range. He put up similar shooting numbers at the California Classic and the Las Vegas Summer League, where he was named MVP.
Murray has provided a big spark for Sacramento offensively. He has also been very sound defensively, demonstrating an ability to switch and guard multiple positions.
“When we first drafted him, I thought he was going to be a power forward,” Brown said. “By the end of summer league, I thought he might be a two, three, four. Now, I don’t know what he is. He’s a baller. He can ball for a young man and it just doesn’t stop with his ability to shoot the ball. I think he can be a very, very good two-way guy, and a guy that can possibly guard a lot of different positions, and so he’s going to get that opportunity sooner than later.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 12:04 PM.
