Keegan Murray Hints at Changing Role as Preseason Approaches

Offensive Expansion: Likely more Aspirational than Realistic

On his offensive role, Murray noted that “They’re using me more than they did last year, especially coming out of the corner, in transition, things like that.” There is no specific mandate for what exactly they want him to do more of, though. Murray simply described the new instructions as the staff wanting him to “use his talent to . . . get a basket, get downhill, get fouled.” 

That is all good news for Kings fans. Murray entered the league after averaging 23.5 PPG with 55/40/75 splits on large volume (15.8 FGA/G, 4.7 3PA/G) and a USG% near 30%. As the kids say, Murray had quite the bag in college. 

Since entering the league, though, Murray has largely been an afterthought in Sacramento’s offensive hierarchy. He has not had a USG% over 18% in his first three seasons, and finished last season near the bottom quartile in Basketball Index’s Offensive Involvement Rate, which measures a player’s on-ball actions per 100 possessions.

A top-five pick typically warrants a more featured role on offense. For better or worse, though, Murray’s place in Sacramento’s ecosystem has made sense. He was drafted onto a team that already had high-usage players in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan was added last season.

The Fox trade did not clear any sort of runway for increased offensive involvement for Murray, either. Zach LaVine came to Sacramento at the trade deadline last February. After signing Dennis Schroder this summer, Murray may actually have fewer chances to expand his offensive game. 

Fox’s USG% sits in the high 20s - about what you expect for a primary playmaker of his caliber. LaVine’s is slightly below Fox - usually in the mid-20s. DeRozan (25% last season), Sabonis (low 20s during his seasons with the Kings so far), perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk (~25% in SAC), are all high-usage players who are best with the ball in their hands. 

Schroder is also around 20% USG in his career. This does not factor in first-round pick Nique Clifford, who should get rotation minutes and some on-ball work right away as well. 

So, while the coaching staff may be pushing Murray to be more involved offensively, it remains to be seen how that plays out on the court with the array of talent that needs the ball to be at their best. Barring injuries that move him up the offensive food chain, expect Murray’s offensive role will be about the same. 

Defensive Change Potentially Leading to Improved Offense 

It sounds like Murray’s role will be changing defensively, as well. When asked about his massive defensive burden last season, Murray led with “having Dennis helps,” explaining that he will not have to guard as many point guards this season. 

This feels a lot more realistic than Murray’s offensive role expanding. Last season, Murray ranked in the 97th percentile in Basketball Index’s matchup difficulty. Here is how that stacks up with some comparable wings: 

Schroder’s presence will probably bring Murray closer towards Jalen Johnson’s figures. It feels hard to understate how beneficial this could be for Murray’s game. He has developed into a very strong defender, but it has come at a price - mainly, his three point shooting, which has dropped in each of his three seasons in Sacramento. 

The correlation between Murray’s matchup difficulty and his 3P% is pretty strong. 

Schroder chasing point guards around will (hopefully) lead to Murray expending less energy on the defensive end, leaving him fresh and better positioned to get back up towards the 40% mark from three. Since Sabonis and DeRozan are not the most willing shooters, and Schroder has shot at an above average clip from distance in just two of his 12 NBA seasons, it is imperative that Murray (along with LaVine, one of the league’s best shooters for many years now) knock down shots at a high clip. 

This could also let Murray develop as a weakside rim protector - a very important presence for any defense with Sabonis as the anchor. Per Cleaning the Glass, Sacramento ranked 28th in rim FG% allowed. Murray has not been a great rim protector by any means. 

He obviously has good defensive feel, though finishing 8th in the league in charges drawn last season, and drawing at least 10 charges in each of his first three seasons. Pairing these instincts with Murray’s length and athleticism certainly leave the door open for development on this front. 

Ideally, Scott Perry and the front office would get to see Murray operate as more of a helper than a point of attack defender and its impact on his offensive game before the October 20 rookie extension deadline. However, that is not the world we live in. 

With this in mind, preseason games may be all the more important as the front office considers how these changes to Murray’s role affect his value and their willingness to let him hit restricted free agency next summer compared to signing him long-term in the coming days. 

Sacramento opens preseason play on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.