Absurd Stat Reveals the Kings’ Most Important Player

The Sacramento Kings' most important player six games into the 2024-25 season is not who you would think.

Oct 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) holds the ball while Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) defends during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The beginning of an NBA season is filled with small sample sizes and can lead to some bizarre stats to start the year, but after six games, trends begin to form and numbers begin to even out.

So far, the numbers are clear; Keegan Murray is the Sacramento Kings’ most important player.

Keegan Murray's On/Off Net Rating
On: +14.2 | Off: -24.3 | Difference: 38.5 pic.twitter.com/t4lfLaLym0

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) November 4, 2024

When Keegan is on the court, the Kings post a net rating of +14.2. When he sits that plummets to -24.3. For reference, the Golden State Warriors lead the league with a +17.6 net rating, while the Utah Jazz pace the league at -18.3.

Like in previous seasons, the Kings came into the year with limited wing depth, and Keegan is currently averaging 37.7 minutes per game, tied for seventh most in the league.

A big part of the dip in production when Keegan sits is that Trey Lyles has been slow to return to form after injury. Lyles is scoring 3.8 points per game on 25 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Trey’s numbers are sure to come up, but explain the big difference in Keegan’s on/off numbers. With the way the roster is currently constructed, there aren’t many options other than Lyles to spell Keegan.

The great takeaway from the splits is that Keegan has played extremely well to start the year. He’s shooting just 30.8 percent from beyond the arc but has looked aggressive on offense through the first six games.

Pairing that with his improved rebounding, up from 5.5 rebounds last season to 8.0 this year, and his continued growth on defense, it’s easy to see why he has such a big impact on the team's success.

There’s just no one else on the roster who can do all of the things Keegan Murray can do on the court. He’s turned into such a well-rounded player early on in his career that it makes his time off the court so hard to replace.

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