The Sacramento Kings have exceeded even the most optimistic of preseason expectations. At 32-25, the Kings own the third-best record in the Western Conference and are on track to make the postseason for the first time since 2007. One reason why the Kings have fared surprisingly well this season is the play of rookie Keegan Murray. Murray has been in a starting role with the Kings from the get-go and has more than made the most of his opportunity, as he ranks sixth among rookies in points per game and seventh in rebounds.
And in a recent interview, Murray admitted that even before he was drafted, he knew that he wanted to end up in Sacramento, per a tweet from Yahoo Sports NBA:
“It was a place I really wanted to go and help change the culture.”
Murray, 22, was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Kings after playing college ball at Iowa. He's averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks across 55 appearances this season (53 starts).
Murray is shooting the ball very efficiently from behind the three-point arc, especially for a rookie — his current 41.5% three-point percentage is the highest among all rookies by a wide margin (Hawks forward AJ Griffin ranks second at 39.4%).
The Kings are well-positioned to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in over 15 years, but this wouldn't be possible without Murray's contributions. Here's to hoping Murray finishes his rookie campaign off strong so that the Kings can secure home-court advantage in the first round.
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