Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star Mired in Miserable Slump

This former Iowa Hawkeyes star is embroiled in a horrendous slump with the Sacramento Kings this NBA season.

Nov 8, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

When the Sacramento Kings selected Iowa Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray with the fourth pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, there were significant expectations.

After all, Murray was a rare standout at Iowa, averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during his final season with the Hawkeyes.

But now in his third NBA season, Murray has yet to deliver on those expectations.

The 24-year-old is having a miserable 2024-25 campaign and is registering just 12.8 points per game on 43.0/29.9/85.7 shooting splits.

Murray has posted single-digit scoring efforts in four of his last seven games, and over his last two contests, he has totaled a combined 12 points.

This is a major step back for Murray, who recorded 15.2 points per game a year ago and logged 12.2 points on a solid true-shooting percentage of 59.7 percent during his rookie season.

But this year, Murray's efficiency has plummeted, and he is becoming more and more of an afterthought in the Kings' offense.

When Sacramento signed DeMar DeRozan in free agency, the general consensus was that Murray would get better looks and thus would post better percentages.

Instead, the Cedar Rapids, Ia. native has been struggling mightily with his shot, and things don't appear to be getting any better as the season progresses.

To be fair, Murray is playing a new position, as he is spending a lot of time at power forward due to DeRozan's arrival. His rebounding numbers have seen an uptick as a result.

But that does not excuse Murray's poor shooting and inability to consistently score the basketball.