Kings F Keegan Murray Preparing for Position Change

Sacramento Kings young star Keegan Murray is evolving his defensive game this season.

Apr 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball next to Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) in the second quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

With the Sacramento Kings' offseason addition of six-time All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan, many fans wondered how this change would affect rising star Keegan Murray. With Murray expected to play alongside DeRozan in the starting lineup, the 24-year-old forward must adjust on both sides of the ball.

Murray has primarily played small forward since entering the league in 2022, but next to DeRozan, will likely be moved to power forward in the starting lineup.

Murray, 6-foot-8, has the frame to play the position, but it could lead to many matchups that he is not used to.

To prepare for this change, Murray has talked about getting ready to defend bigger players (via James Ham | The Kings Beat):

It'll be fun to have another challenge, just to see what I'm capable of, so I'm excited for that. I tried a little bit at the Team USA thing to try to guard bigger guys just to get a feel for it... Mike [Brown] told me that's probably what's going to happen.

- Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

Keegan Murray said he worked to get stronger to play against bigger players this season with the addition of DeMar DeRozan. pic.twitter.com/ddUiYy2jGa

— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) September 30, 2024

Kings head coach Mike Brown has also commented on the adjustment for Murray, telling the media exactly what the young forward is working on to prepare (via Brenden Nunes | Sactown Sports 1140):

[Murray] has got to keep getting stronger without bulking up. I don't want him to turn into a 'power' guy... You’ve got to be able to take that hit, stay strong, continue to step slide and Keegan is heading in that direction... I'm excited to see Keegan take that step.

- Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings

At media day, Keegan Murray said he was preparing to defend larger players this season.

I asked Mike Brown today what he needs to do in order to excel there.

“You’ve got to be able to take that hit, stay strong, continue to step slide and Keegan is heading in that direction.” pic.twitter.com/t1WkB41lKG

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 2, 2024

Murray's progression as a defender has been very impressive since his rookie season, and he should continue to excel on that side of the ball. Murray has become a dominant two-way presence after establishing himself as an elite shooter in his first year.

With the addition of DeRozan, Sacramento's defensive weapons will be that much more important. It is clear that Sacramento will not struggle on offense, but using defensive specialists like Keon Ellis and Murray to be a top team on both ends of the court will take them into title contention.

---

Follow Sacramento Kings On SI on Facebook and X/Twitter

Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!