The Sacramento Kings missed last season’s playoffs despite finishing with a 46-36 record. Just two years removed from being the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, the Kings are aiming to make it back to the playoffs once again. Led by their star duo of Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox, there is a lot of promise in Sacramento. This sentiment was enforced after the team acquired six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who recently had a three-year stint with the Chicago Bulls. However, a lot of Sacramento’s future depends on the outlook of their young players–most notably, Keegan Murray.
Sacramento selected Murray with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In his two years in the league, the Iowa native has been a really good forward who has showcased his potential. Last season, Murray averaged 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1 steal per game. This campaign was fresh off his rookie season when Murray finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting. As he prepares for his third NBA season, expectations are high for Murray. And, recently, Sabonis pinpointed exactly where Murray must improve to take a massive leap next season.
Domantas Sabonis Reveals Big Expectations for Keegan Murray
Sabonis Believes Murray Needs to Build His Confidence
In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Sabonis spoke about the outlook of the Kings and what his expectations are for next season. Sabonis also spoke about Murray. According to Sabonis, Murray needs “more confidence and trust in himself” to become the best version of himself as possible. Sabonis also mentioned that the addition of DeRozan should pay dividends for Murray’s game.
“To gain more confidence and trust in himself. We’re always here for him. I’m always trying to get him easy looks, get him going, and for him to come out and be him. With DeMar, hopefully, there will be more people out there trying to get him open looks. I think he’s going to have easier looks, which will be good for us,” Sabonis said.
With DeRozan’s presence on the team, as Sabonis mentions, it should allow Murray to have better looks and not have as much pressure on him. This upcoming season, the 24-year-old will essentially be the fourth option. In this role, he should excel and bring a new element to the Kings.
The Last Word
The Kings are looking like a top team in the Western Conference once again. Whether they are legitimate title contenders or not remains unknown. However, after adding another star in DeRozan, and bringing back one of the best bench players in the league in Malik Monk, there is no reason to believe the Kings cannot surprise some people next season.
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