Former Iowa Star Alarmingly Struggling Early In NBA Season

This former Iowa Hawkeyes star has not gotten off to a great start with the Sacramento Kings this NBA season.

Mar 11, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Keegan Murray (15) and Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi (11) fight for a rebound in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray was widely viewed as a breakout candidate heading into his third NBA season with the Sacramento Kings.

Well, over the Kings' first four games, Murray has looked anything but the sort.

The former No. 4 overall pick is averaging just 14.3 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point range thus far, a rather disappointing start for a player that was expected to see an increase in efficiency this year.

To be fair, it's only been four games. There is plenty of time for Murray to turn things around. But there is no question that this has been a rather underwhelming start, especially after Murray struggled with his efficiency last season.

In his sophomore campaign, Murray logged 15.2 points per game on 45.4/35.8/83.1 shooting splits. Murray's inconsistency from long distance became a significant issue throughout the year, and it was something that was expected to improve in 2024-25, particularly with Sacramento adding DeMar DeRozan in free agency.

The general expectation was that Murray would get better looks with more offensive weapons surrounding him this year, but it hasn't really manifested in Murray's percentages.

The 24-year-old did score 23 points in the Kings' season opener, but over the last three contests, Murray has accumulated a grand total of 34 points. Most recently, he posted 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting in a win over the Utah Jazz.

Hopefully, Murray can get himself right as the season progresses, but this is not the start everyone was hoping for.