Keegan Murray Emerges as Most Impactful Rookie in Postseason

Keegan Murray had the best game of his young career in Sunday afternoon's loss at Chase Center.

When projecting prospects to the league, what’s ultimately prioritized is the value they can one day bring to a competitive playoff team. This can feel like a long way away during the pre-draft process, and for most players, it does end up being a few years until they get a chance to play meaningful postseason minutes. 

However, Sacramento’s Keegan Murray is getting this opportunity already in their series against Golden State, and he used it well in game four. He's essentially the only rookie in this class that is getting significant playoff minutes and making an impact.

Murray has been incredible all season, starting 78 games for the three-seed in the Western Conference, and averaging 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Additionally, he shot 52.7% on two-pointers and 41.1% on threes. The 6-foot-8 forward will be rewarded with an all-rookie team selection in the coming weeks and will see his name appear on Rookie Of The Year ballots.

Up two games to one on the defending champion Warriors, the Kings needed a big-time performance from someone other than De’Aaron Fox or Domantas Sabonis to take a commanding three-to-one lead. Consequently, Murray stepped up, notching 23 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 5-for-7 from deep. Sacramento couldn’t quite scrape out the win, but his performance was one for the history books; his 23 points are the most ever recorded by a Sacramento Kings rookie in a playoff game!

All afternoon he was good for timely and opportunistic baskets, racking up points within the flow of the offense. The former Iowa Hawkeye has never needed the ball much or many plays ran for him, rather serving up buckets by complimenting the primary action. This was seen via put-backs, in transition, finishing off of cuts, and serving as a release valve behind the arc.

Murray, who was the fourth pick in last June’s draft, is developing into the ideal modern ancillary forward. He is a legitimately great shooter with size and a terrific feel for the game, and he’s only going to get better. His development will surely be fun to watch, and one can only wonder what it would look like if he gets the chance to scale up in responsibility one day. Until then, Murray can continue to be a star in his role.

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