Former Iowa Star's Inconsistency is Becoming Major Problem

This former Iowa Hawkeyes star seems to be running on thin ice with the Portland Trail Blazers this NBA season.

Nov 29, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) drives to the basket during the second half against Sacramento Kings forward Doug McDermott (7) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes have not exactly placed a whole lot of top-tier talents in the NBA over the years, but two recent names that were selected in the first round of the draft were brothers Keegan Murray and Kris Murray.

Keegan was certainly the better of the two prospects, and his draft positioning reflected that, as he was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the fourth overall pick in 2022.

Then there was Kris, who was chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers 23rd overall a year later.

The problem is that while Keegan has shown star potential, Kris has been incredibly inconsistent, and it is becoming a major issue in Portland.

Murray is averaging just 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds over 12.7 minutes per game this season, which is a dropoff from his rookie campaign in which he logged 6.1 points and 3.6 boards across 21.7 mintues a night.

Yes, he is shooting considerably better from the floor, as he is making 47.5 percent of his shots and 33.3 percent of his three-point tries, but the Iowa product appears to be falling out of favor with the Blazers.

His inability to regularly produce is a big part of that. For example, Murray tallied 14 points in 20 minutes against the Utah Jazz on Dec. 6. That was during a five-game stretch where he totaled just four points during the other four contests.

And you know what? He has not played in either of the last two games.

The fact that the 24-year-old cannot seem to earn consistent playing time on a terrible team that is clearly in rebuilding mode is a huge problem and demonstrates that Murray is either in need of a change of scenery or a change in approach.