Jay Triano says the Kings want Keegan Murray ‘to be a scorer’

Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jay Triano joined “The Drive Guys” Monday to discuss the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets and what the team needs to do for its final 19 games of the season.

Second-year forward Keegan Murray is averaging 14.7 points this season. And while he’s had several big moments this season, which includes scoring 47 points against the Utah Jazz in December, Triano said the team wants Murray to be more of a scorer.

“I think he’s expanded his game to the point where he can put it on the deck a little bit, get into the mid-range, he’s got a little bit of a float, a little bit of a fadeaway. But we remind him all the time, he’s gotten to where he is with the Kings by shooting the three,” Triano said, adding Keegan Murray and the team wants to shoot more three-pointers than they recently have. “I know he’s struggling a little bit right now from the field, but the way you break out of something like that is by continuing to shoot, continue to take good shots, and when we drive and kick we’re going to look for you and you’ve got to be able to knock it down when we do that.”

Additional topics discussed include:

• Choosing to play basketball over football
• How the Rockets knocked the Kings off their rhythm Sunday
• The Kings utilized a zone defense against the Rockets at times Sunday. Is it something they use more often?
• Shooting more three-pointers a game
• Looking at the Western Conference standings and what the coaches tell the players about positioning
• How impressive Keon Ellis has been this season
• Soaking in the atmosphere at the Golden 1 Center
• The team’s free-throw shooting turnaround

Click here to watch and listen to the full interview with Jay Triano.

Listen to The Drive Guys with Kevin Gleason and Kyle Draper from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140. Subscribe to their podcast here. Follow us on Twitter and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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