With the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings selected forward Keegan Murray out of Iowa. Murray shot up draft boards during the 2021-22 season with the Hawkeyes, going from a rotation player as a freshman while turning into a bonafide star as a sophomore.
In his last season with Iowa, Murray averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.9 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game. He made 55.4 percent of his shot attempts overall, 39.8 percent from 3-point range and 74.7 percent from the foul line.
The skills were there for him to become a two-way forward capable of stretching the floor as a 3-and-D player at the very least. During his rookie season with the Kings, he has certainly lived up to the billing.
Murray has been a staple in Sacramento’s starting lineup, being there in 53 out of the 55 games that he has played. He is now a fixture there and is making the most of his opportunities.
In 29.5 minutes per game, Murray is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks as a complementary piece around De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Keegan Murray & Sacramento Kings Updates
During the 2022 offseason, one thing that the Kings were seeking was more shooting. They had to space the floor better around Fox and Sabonis to get the offense to flow better. Murray has provided that in spades, as he is putting together the best shooting season for a rookie in NBA history.
He is currently making 41.5 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, knocking down 2.5 3-pointers per game. According to StatMuse, Murray would be the first rookie ever to hit those numbers and is on pace to break the all-time record for 3-pointers made in a season by a rookie.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Keegan Murray & Sacramento Kings Updates
The record is currently held by Donovan Mitchell, who made 187 3-pointers as a rookie during the 2017-18 season. Murray currently has 137 makes and with 25 games remaining in the season, he has an excellent chance of breaking the record. He has a real chance of becoming the first rookie in NBA history to have 200 3-pointers.
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