PG-13, Klay say Keegan Murray is one of the NBA’s top shooters
Aug 8, 2023, 9:03 AM
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
On the heels of a record-breaking rookie season, Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray is receiving high praise from two of the NBA’s premier three-point shooters.
During the latest edition of Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George’s podcast, Podcast P with Paul George, the eight-time All-Star was joined by Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
George and Thompson each drafted five of the NBA’s top three-point shooters, and Sacramento’s prized second-year forward was selected with George’s third selection.
Following George’s pick of Murray, the two future Hall of Famers spoke highly about Murray’s skillset from beyond the three-point arc.
Warning: NSFW language
Klay and PG talk Keegan Murray (selecting him as the best shooting 3 currently in the league). @Kingsbr_ pic.twitter.com/iHYw8xE8ro
— n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) August 7, 2023
George: “This is a sleeper. I’m going with Keegan Murray.”
Thompson: “Yeah. He can shoot.”
George: “He’s elite at the three-point. Hopefully, this isn’t just one of those one-offs where he just has a hell of a rookie season.”
Thompson: “Nah, he’s going to be a good player.”
George: “But he’s got a cannon. He can shoot the [expletive] out of it.”
Thompson: “And he’s like, 6’9, 6’10.”
George: “Big, big wing. Yeah, he’s elite.”
Thompson: “He was great in the playoffs. For a rookie, that’s a lot to make that impact. Couldn’t leave him [open]. I measure a guy, like how comfortable you feel leaving him open. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Murray open. It’s going in, you know?”
George: “Even if he’s semi-[open], he’s cashing it.”
Reflecting on Keegan Murray’s growth during his first NBA season
Murray, the Kings’ fourth-overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Iowa, was a critical piece of this season’s team that made the NBA Playoff for the first time since 2006.
The 22-year-old finished the regular season with averages of 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range over 80 appearances.
It was a record-breaking rookie season for Murray, who topped Donovan Mitchell’s rookie three-point record of 187 made triples. Murray finished the season with 206 made threes–the sixth-most during a single season in Sacramento Kings franchise history.
Murray’s 206 triples led the 2022 rookie class, with the next-closest on the leaderboard being Jabari Smith Jr. and Jaden Ivey, with 120 made triples each.
Among players that attempted at least 400 three-point field goals this season, Murray ranks fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.410). The rookie converted five-or-more three-point field goals in 10 games this season. No other rookie did so on more than three occasions.
The rookie didn’t have to wait long to make his first NBA Playoff appearance, as Sacramento finished the season with the third-best record in the Western Conference and played a hard-fought seven-game series against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
After struggling out of the gates, Murray finished the series strong by averaging 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range during Games 4 through 7.
Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule
- August TBD – 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule release
- September TBD – Sacramento Kings training camp begins
- Sunday, October 8th – Sacramento Kings @ Toronto Raptors – 5 PM PST (Preseason opener)
- October TBD – NBA regular season begins
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