Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray named NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month
Kings forward Keegan Murray received his first NBA Rookie of the Month award Tuesday following a string of impressive performances in December.
Murray, who came out of Iowa as the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month. Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, was honored as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
Murray averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field and 46.4% from 3-point range over 14 games in December. He had a career-high 23 points and seven rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 3.
Murray had 18 points in a Dec. 9 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and 20 points in a Dec. 16 win over the Detroit Pistons. He matched his career high with 23 points in a Dec. 21 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, making 6 of 12 from 3-point range.
Murray led all rookies in December in 3-pointers made (39), games with multiple 3-point goals (10) and 3-point percentage (.464). Since the 1979-80 season, Murray is one of just three rookies to connect on 35 or more 3-point attempts in December – joining Kyle Kuzma (2017-18) and Luka Doncic (2018-19) – and the first to do so while shooting over 45% from beyond the arc.
Murray currently leads all rookies in 3-point goals (73) and 3-point shooting (.382). He ranks fifth among rookies in scoring (11.5 ppg) and total points (137).
Murray is the eighth player in franchise history to receive Rookie of the Month honors. He is the first player from Iowa to receive the award since its inception in the 1981-82 season.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 12:56 PM.
