The Sacramento Kings faced a conundrum in the 2022 NBA Draft. Purdue guard Jaden Ivey was by far considered the fourth best prospect, but he was not particularly keen on going to Sacramento, and with De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell already on the list, they did not like to take on another small guard.
Some thought they should just pick Ivey anyway and figure it out, others thought trading was the best way. In fact, there was a stream of trade rumors in the days and hours leading up to the pick. But in the end, the Kings decided to keep it and get consensus again.
With the No. 4 overall pick, they selected Keegan Murray from the University of Iowa. The 6-foot-8 forward has been a huge college player, and there is little doubt that he can be an effective player in the league. Whether he will be good enough to justify such a high selection, however, remains to be seen.
The early signs, for what they will be, are extremely positive. Murray made his Kings debut Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic – one of the Mini Summer League tournaments before the main event in Las Vegas later this month.
Murray was by far the best player on the floor, finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds on 10-of-14 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point land in the Kings’ comfortable 86-68 victory. That was good for a staggering 1,733 points per possession, per Synergy Sports.
“I knew that if the ball was in my hands, we would have a good chance to score or make a game for someone else,” Murray said after the game. “I just wanted to be the aggressor at all times.”
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