There’s something that separates Kings forward Keegan Murray from the rest of the second-year players currently in the NBA – and it’s not skill-related.
Speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s practice, Kings coach Mike Brown shared a particularly enthralling opinion about Murray after recognizing the forward’s growth in his second season with Sacramento.
“Keegan is growing in a lot of areas,” Brown told reporters. “I say this all the time, I don’t know if there’s a second-year player that probably has more pressure on them than he does. We’re a playoff team.”
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The pressure placed on Sacramento’s No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which featured the likes of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holgrem and Bennedict Mathurin, to name a few, can stem from his duties on the hardwood, which within Brown’s system require him to play a major role on both ends of the floor.
“Nine times out of 10, he’s taking [on] the best perimeter offensive player for the other team,” Brown said. “So, we are asking for him to defend at a high level, in your second year. We’re asking for him to shoot the three.
“We’re asking him to go get buckets from the first and second level. We’re asking for him to rebound – not just defensive rebounds but offensive rebounds. And the pressure is on him to do it every play, while understanding that we are a playoff team.”
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This season, Murray is on pace to surpass numbers from his memorable NBA All-Rookie First Team season, averaging 14.8 points from the floor while adding 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 32.5 minutes in 50 games played.
Aside from his 3-point efficiency, all of Murray’s main stat lines are up from a year ago, reassuring Sacramento’s coach that, despite the pressure placed on his shoulders, the forward’s best days are yet to come.
“Again, if you look at the guys drafted around him, I’m not sure if any of them have been in the playoffs, yet let alone have the pressure of the things that I just mentioned that Keegan has,” Brown added.
“So, he’s grown in a lot of different areas, not just one specific area. In my opinion, he’s just going to continue to get better, which is a benefit to this organization and this city.”