Keegan Murray made history Thursday by becoming the tallest basketball player in Iowa ever selected in the NBA Draft.
Sacramento selected the former Hawkeye as the fourth overall pick in the draft, and before Murray could leave the stage in Brooklyn, draft analysts were thrilled with the Kings move.
“Keegan Murray may have been the absolute best player in the country last year on both ends of the pitch,” said ESPN’s Jay Bilas during the network’s NBA Draft broadcast. “He’s gone from an average of seven, eight points per game a year ago to an average of 24. I think he’s the most efficient player in this draft and the most NBA ready to hook up right now.”
Murray finds himself on a team looking for an established winger. The Kings have one in Harrison Barnes, a native of Iowa, but is set to become an unlimited free agent after next season. The same goes for Kings forwards Maurice Harkless, Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu.
So when ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked Kendrick Perkins what he thought of the choice. the former NBA player is thrilled with how Murray fits in with his new teammate, stellar point guard De’Aaron Fox.
“The Kings have shown us they are engaged in (Fox),” Perkins said. “He’s their player in the franchise. Why not add a winger? The winger is the most important position in the NBA. Think about it. The Golden State Warriors won thanks to Andrew Wiggins and the way he was able to play in defense and attack “.
Moreover:Keegan Murray of Iowa Basketball selected number 4 from the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA Draft
Jay Bilas: Keegan Murray isn’t an “Instagram sense” but he does everything right
Murray is by no means a flashy player. Bilas didn’t see it as a problem before the draft and he’s not changing his mind now that he’s found his NBA home.
“Right now he’s ready for the NBA,” Bilas said. “His IQ in basketball is exceptional. He’s very smart, he has a great feeling, he gives really good reads and he pursues the ball. It’s not going to be a sensation on Instagram, because he’s not a spectacular hitter and all those things, even if he hunks a lot, but he plays smart every game, and he does it again and again. “
Last season, Murray boasted the best defensive scoring (96.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) and defensive winning odds (2) among his Hawkeye teammates.
“He has great hands,” Bilas said. “He mentioned the detours he gets – he may not be the most dynamic guy standing in front of people, but he makes a great recovery. He’s always in the right position. He talks, he has it all. He’s not a spectacular athlete who’s going to jump out. from the page, but when you look at the page at the end of the game, it has scratched every important category. “
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Keegan Murray draws a comparison with Pascal Siakam from Kendrick Perkins
Perkins believes the Hawkeye star plays in a similar way to Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
“It reminds me a little of Pascal Siakam,” Perkins said. “He knows how to take advantage of guys when he has a mismatch. He has the size and length. He knows how to play his role sometimes. He plays well off the ball. He is active with deflections on the defensive, turning them into transition points. This is what I want. Keegan Murray likes: his size, his athleticism along with his IQ and feel for the game. “
Siakam averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals last season. He was an NBA All Star in 2020, so the comparison is nothing to scoff at.
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Jon Rothstein: Keegan Murray is a “better version of Boris Diaw”
College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein posed an interesting question after the Kings took Murray in fourth overall draft pick.
“The question remains: if Murray had played for a blueblood program and not for Iowa, would he have been considered for one of the top three picks in the NBA Draft?” Rothstein asked. “He went from 16 to three to 66 from freshman to second year, and played seven games last season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Murray shot 40% from 3 points last season and also demonstrated, time and time again, which is capable in defense.
“Murray is someone who will be an NBA starter and looks like a better version of Boris Diaw, when he shone under Mike D’Antoni with the Phoenix Suns.”
Diaw averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds for his NBA career, making 33.6% of his 3-point attempts. With the Suns in D’Antoni’s frantic attack, Diaw averaged over 13 points per game over two seasons.
Eddie Johnson: “Murray will be great in Sacramento”
Murray was picked on Thursday to replace Purdue’s Jayden Ivey, another top player in the draft. Many analysts predicted that Ivey would either land with Sacramento or overtake Murray, but the Big Ten star ended up being selected at number 5 by the Detroit Pistons.
“This could work well for both teams,” he said Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.
Ivey didn’t work out with the Kings this off-season, making it clear he didn’t want to end up in Sacramento.
Eddie Johnson, who has played in the NBA for 17 years, believes it has worked out for the best.
“I love that a guy is open with a team and says, ‘Hey, I don’t want to go there,'” he said. “It allows that team to make a decision. Ivey wanted to stay in the Midwest, be close to his mother … I think Murray will be great in Sacramento. I think both teams win.”
Read more about Keegan Murray and the NBA 2022 Draft
Adam Hensley is a digital producer on the USA Today Network. You can follow him on Twitter @ A_Hens83 or contact him at ahensley@gannett.com.