Sacramento’s first round selection was the “King” of the Summer League.
The Las Vegas Summer League officially ended last week for the Sacramento Kings. And though it didn’t result in a championship like the previous summer, it was arguably more fun to watch due to the roster and No. 4 pick Keegan Murray.
Earlier today, the NBA announced that Murray was named the MVP of the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League. In his four games, Murray averaged the fourth-most points per game and the most amongst rookies with 23.3 points. He also showcased his knack for rebounding with 7.3 per game as well as shooting 50% from the field and 40% from deep.
Sacramento’s Keegan Murray wins Summer League MVP honors after averaging 23.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in Las Vegas.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP pic.twitter.com/9z2Kr6OSML
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 18, 2022
Tari Eason (Houston Rockets), Quentin Grimes (New York Knicks), Sandro Mamukelashvili (Milwaukee Bucks), Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings) and Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets) have been named to the NBA 2K23 All-Summer League First Team. pic.twitter.com/ffvd5TDWDg
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 18, 2022
But that’s not all. Murray was also selected 2022 First-Team All-Summer League. He was the only Kings player to earn any Summer League accolades, even though his teammate Neemias Queta likely came close to earning a Second-Team spot.
Even with the accolades and attractive statistics, the most impressive thing Murray displayed during his time in Las Vegas was his basketball IQ to pair with his ability to control the game’s tempo.
In their final game, the Kings elected to sit Murray. But that didn’t stop him from taking the floor. Murray had the opportunity to join the coaching staff in drawing up some plays and helping his team to a win in their last game.
there is nothing that Keegan Murray can’t do pic.twitter.com/g7edHzYJAm
— J r u e (@thatl0calguy) July 17, 2022
Murray gave the fans and organization everything they were looking for over the last two weeks. Now they will be looking for his production to carry over in to the regular season where he will surely look to gain similar hardware by making an All-Rookie Team and hopefully taking home Rookie of the Year.
The Kings’ last two first-round picks both had the talent to contend for the coveted award. However, Murray will have best chance due to the likelihood of him getting starting minutes immediately.