The Sacramento Kings played their first game of the 2022 California Classic Summer League against the Golden State Warriors Saturday night at Chase Center.
Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis made their Kings debuts alongside second-year big man Neemias Queta. On the other side, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman did not suit up for day one.
The starting five featured Frankie Ferrari, Keon Ellis, Jared Rhoden, Keegan Murray, and Neemias Queta. It’s as small of a sample size as you can get but, what that in mind, here are my primary takeaways from the opener.
1. Keegan Murray did it all
In fitting fashion, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft ended his first game with 26 points and 8 rebounds on a ridiculously efficient 10/14 from the field including 4/5 from three.
Murray’s game is far from flashy and can often leave people wondering when it was that he even managed to tally the amount of counting stats that he did. It all happens for him within the flow of the offense, and his strength isn’t to initiate the offense himself.
Keegan Murray is on FIRE here early in the 2nd half.
Good movement off-ball here gets him a clean look on a C&S 3. pic.twitter.com/3DRAkAWlGZ
— Kings Film Room (@SacFilmRoom) July 3, 2022
Another C&S look from Keegan, this one a couple feet beyond the line pic.twitter.com/ChApcMwxFZ
— Kings Film Room (@SacFilmRoom) July 3, 2022
Overall, the Kings’ first-rounder was effective finishing at the rim in transition, held his own on the defensive end, regularly made the extra pass, knocked down threes with a crazy fast release, and made very few mistakes in his 28 minutes. You couldn’t have asked for a better start from the Iowa product.
2. Keon Ellis is a disruptor
Keon Ellis, who went undrafted out of Alabama before signing a two-way with the Sacramento Kings, has an impact that goes beyond the stat sheet.
Ellis is known to be a disruptive defender and that was on display a handful of times Saturday night. He had countless deflections and showed his versatility by switching onto a variety of opposing players.
Two-way rookie Keon Ellis shows off his defensive prowess on back-to-back plays: pic.twitter.com/ynYCPFXFQZ
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) July 3, 2022
Offensively, he has a somewhat limited game that is reliant on him hitting his open shots. He finished the night 0/4 from beyond the arc but had a greater impact than those numbers would lead you to believe.
Three steals, one block, six rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes made for an impressive debut that displayed his intangibles despite those subpar shooting numbers.
3. Neemias Queta was up-and-down
The Pride of Portugal had some impressive moments around the rim on both ends but it wasn’t without a few out-of-control blunders.
The second-year center ended the night with 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists on 5/9 shooting and managed two steals and two blocks to go with it.
There were possessions where Queta could have done a better job utilizing his size and strength as the biggest man on either team. But, there was a solid lob finish, some intriguing flashes of footwork, and impactful plays at the rim and on the perimeter defensively.
It’ll be interesting to track his growth in the pick-and-roll on both ends as Summer League continues.
The Sacramento Kings Summer League team will play their second game of the California Classic against the Miami Heat at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Said this on the game thread, Not a lot of NBA talent in the opposition (especially without Moody or Kuminga), but all that aside Keegan did his thing really impressively. Removed of all the draft talk, and longterm questions, just a really fun and cerebral player (definitely akin with my own aesthetics). Excited to watch him and this squad in the bay and Vegas.
Keon Ellis really impressed me. I drool at the defensive tenacity when he and Davion share the backcourt at times. If he can be honest with his jump shot, he may stick around.
His feet and spacing on this play…wow.
https://twitter.com/SacFilmRoom/status/1543387615654580224
Pay-per-view the practices with Davion and Keon!
I will buy that.
The steal he had in which he just grabbed the pass with both hands was incredible. He’s definitely fun to watch, hope he plays his way into some kind of role!
Keon reminds of former King , Bull – Randy Brown . Elite defender .
Tell the engraver to get busy on that trophy.
We beat the World Champion Warriors.
I do believe that makes us the lineal champions.
Murray sounds like the kind of player that the Kings have lacked for a long time. Efficient, not only in terms of scoring the ball, but also physically efficient too, doesn’t have to put out nearly as much effort when the game comes to him.
and he had no turnovers!
And I swear, he didn’t break a sweat.
Honestly reminds me a little bit of Barnes on offense. Can get you a bucket. I thought he wasn’t getting enough touches but 10/14 4/5 from 3 I can’t complain
I don’t know why, because they have diferent shot styles, but the way he plays reminds me of prime Trevor Ariza.
I’m not saying that that is his comp/ceiling, just that something in the way he moves around the court reminds me of Ariza.
I remember a game where Ariza put up, I wanna say, 7 steals against the Kings, Afterward Paul Westfall commented that he was telling the team to stay away from him, because he was moving “like some kinda wildcat out there!”
That is a good call Rik. I was wondering who he reminded me of, he does have the same physicality that Ariza did.
I love it.
https://twitter.com/JandersonSacBee/status/1543410918825963520
That looked like a set play in real time and apparently it was! Ironically enough, it looked like Warriors type action.
Here it is, and his other buckets.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1543410652852666376?s=20&t=d6P1JXsz2-JCHmCDobuBUw
I am really impressed by the defense of Ellis and to a lesser extent, Murray. Two guys that really tries every play. Ferrari on the other hand…is a basketball player? He looked like a 5’9 dude from the park.
Hey, I am a 5’9″ dude from the park
Can you play SF?
I was really hoping the Warriors had a point guard named Ford.
Prefect!
Ferrari is Lee Harvey Oswald in witness protection.
Anyone catch the post game interview with Keegan?
He sounds so focused and even-keeled. Mature.
Had to go watch it. Definite maturity and self-awareness. Rookies tend to have a false bravado, and their tone changes as they truly figure things out. Keegan is not trying to convince everyone around him that he’s going to be the GOAT. Rather I sense that he understands his role and what he needs to do to be successful.
you just reminded me of when someone asked rookie MB3 who he thought the mvp was going to be…his answer? He said, “me” lol 😂
A small preview of what Keegan can bring. In theory he really is the perfect fit for this team. We have Fox and Mitchell as attackers & dribble distributors, we have Sabonis as a high post distributor, low post Ox. Murray brings a sharp jumper and cuts with finishes toward the rim. I’m picturing many more efficient games, in the future.
Monte watching the game:
For one stupid summer league game, why yes I will Monte
Man, so excited for the potential of this team more than ever. Keegan is a silent killer. I had the same thoughts at half time thinking he really needed to step it up come to find out he had 13 and 6 at the half. Love this kid for our team.
Drooling over having so many wide open 3s off fox driving or sabonis in the high post finding Murray, Barnes, monk, and huerter.
I’ve been a Kings fan since maybe 01, as a 10 year old. This is the first time in my adult life I’m genuinely excited and feel like there’s some real plan in place. Color my glasses purple but hot damn
Gif attempt….
There is a real plan because The Kings finally have a real GM. First time in forever.
And a GM who seemingly has the decision making power and has pacified Vivek. McNair hears Vivek’s rantings “ideas” but ignores them and does his thing.
This is what it looks like when a nuisance owner backs off…. this is how a normal/good team functions….building an actual real team.
I have little doubt the Kings will be good again if this structures stays.
And the answer has been and is always so simple. Just don’t be a ego run owner and let a professional run the show. For now, we have this…
But the real question is will Vivek extend monte?
It’s incredible the strides the Kings have made since Vivek appointed Anjali Ranadive to a front office role.
https://twitter.com/cameronsalerno1/status/1543403141361635329?s=21&t=hLb6LyUfDOfwct8DQmzOHg
I didn’t get to watch but, I’m still excited as hell! I’m home now, getting to enjoy a thread already 28 comments deep without a single mention of that other kid out of Purdue! The article broke down the performances of everyone on the team (that I’ve heard of). One question- who’s coaching them this summer?
Jordi Fernández
thanks
Anjali World.
Wouldn’t be surprised if a reality TV show is created for her first year as assistant GM in Stockton, with that exact title.
Real NBA talent should dominate these games. So great to see Keegan have an easy, efficient, dominant game. In my eyes – more summer league seasoning is great for him, but he is NBA ready.
This season has to be different! Right?! I just want to listen or watch one Kings game without my wife and kids judging me… 😂
Of all the things my wife judges me about, my Kings fandom is low on the list.
Talking about lists, I still have some chores to do…
is it above or below your Browns fandom?
😛
As long as Watson is there, I will not support the Browns.
I guess you’re unaware of the countless degenerates the Kings have employed over the last decade.
I am aware; and I was quite outspoken about these matters.
But as I evolve over time, so does my tolerance for certain matters. And we are not talkking about one incident, but a whole bunch of them and a guy showing zero remorse or awareness.
Hopefully we get Myles Bridges
Can we sign Kessler Edwards and add him to SL??
Does anyone have a comp for Murray? I see a lot of Michael Beasley with less athleticism and more basketball I.Q. My friend was disappointed with that but Beasley could have been special without the head issues in my opinion. Athletically and body wise he reminds me a bit of Andre Roberson. Seeing him play today I have a mix of feelings. I think he may be the absolute modern 4. He shoots, he’s switchable, he has a post game, and he can put the ball on the floor. But he also looks like the same size as a SF. Is he just an undersized PF? I hope not, but am worried. Murray reminds me a lot of Hali which excites me. You can never have enough smart basketball players on a team.
In terms of demeanor and skill set Murray reminds me a little of Tim Duncan….does a little bit of everything, makes the right play.
Rudy Gay/Harrison Barnes
Alex English/Bernard King
(hey, I’m an old fart. I went old skool. Ask JR if he likes my comp- he’s an even older fart)
A smaller LaMarcus Aldridge with more range and fluidity
Love Murray, but Santos and Ellis impressed me most.
Santos and Ellis will have much better stats in G League .
Santos may have looked impressive, but I thought he was. bit out of control and selfish. Almost all of his makes were a the basket, he can’t pass, had 6 turnovers, and looked to be a black hole on offense. They guy can drive to the hoop, but that was about it.
I feel like Keegan’s game should translate well to the NBA. I am excited.
I saw his press conference the other day and was just impressed with how he handled himself, he showed maturity. He seems to be even and does not seem like a rookie infront of the camera.
When we were looking at 7, I was hoping he would be there. I do not known enough about college ball to have strong opinions until my annual cram sessions getting familiar with the potential Kings lottery pick.
Monte seems to have traits that he likes to see in players. So far I have been happy with Monte, even if it hurt losing Hali. We got an all star back, one who seems to fit in the Monte player profile. I like it, and I think eventually it will work.
Time will tell of course, but I am a fan and would rather have hope, even if in some years that hope is fleeting.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinForBulgaria?src=hashtag_click
The Kings have invited Vezenkov to Las Vegas for “talks”.
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/1364823/sacramento-kings-invite-sasha-vezenkov-for-talks-nba/
Murray was terrific, Ellis has potential and Cueto may yet become a good back up . Also. the TV broadcast team was much better than Kyle and Kayte .
Am I hype about what Keegan did yesterday? No. It’s Summer League and he did it against G League talent.
I mean, did anyone realistically think he wasn’t a NBA player before yesterday? I mean all the guy did was just easily be the best player on the court….and it means nothing. Why? It’s summer league.
Summer League is a training tool, Keegan will pass the test (he was going to pass it anyway), and that’s that. You’ll learn more from a single NBA regular season game than you will all of Summer League AND preseason combined.
That said, what you saw yesterday was a glimpse of what Keegan can do on the court when the lights are on and there are NBA players. How he performs when the bright lights are on him every night? Probably pretty well, actually. There’s no reason to think he can’t perform.
My big questions are how he finishes at the rim around hyper athletic, long guys which the NBA has on every team. Another is how Keegan defends the perimeter. Another question is does he have a post game he can take advantage of? Or will the Kings need him on the perimeter to provide spacing? Will he thrive in transition at the next level like he did at Iowa?
None of this is going to get answered during Summer League, and it might be a full month of NBA games before I’m comfortable nudging my thoughts one way or another about Keegan in that regard. I liked the guy before the draft (my main question with Keegan Murray is just how high his ceiling actually is–and do we ever really know that?) and I like him now. A summer league game where he’s literally the only guy to see NBA minutes tells you very little.
Go Keegan. Go Kings. Is it October yet?
I mean obviously 100% correct. But…
😉
One thing I think you can summarize is that he didn’t let the game speed up on him… I get it was summer league but still a pro debut and that is what I like from it.
I like what Jerry Reynolds says: You don’t learn so much what a player can do as much as what he can’t do.
We didn’t learn much about what Keegan Murray is likely to be at the NBA level, but we did learn he’s not likely to be a flop at the NBA level. The skills were real. (I mean, the skills were real long before yesterday. But still.)
I was already a Keegan Murray fan anyway. I just don’t think Summer League does much for the top picks like Murray. It’s far more of a development tool for the Neemius Queta/Keon Ellis’ of the world.
No one wants to talk about Queta ?
Who got a better footwork than Queta in the league ? (Maybe Embiid)
but I mean, Queta is tall, strong and moblie.
He got some chase down block.
I want to see more of him.
He can be like Gobert, standing in the paint, and scare people from getting into the paint.
Just no easy layup for the opponent.
He’s very fun. Still a ways to go developmentally.
I don’t know, he was big, and that’s about it. I still don’t see him cracking the rotation with so many bigs ahead of him. I’d be shocked to see him play in more than 10 games next season.
I think the right way to look at Queta is this: Some bigs are slow developers. He is one of those, at least we can hope so. If he develops, he will add to his game for several years. At the end of that process he could be very good. It remains to be seen.
The G League used to be called the D League since it was the development league. And to me he looks like he needs more development.
Hopefully Anjali works her magic.
At least a year away from being as good as Damian Jones .
I like Queta, but his offense is way behind his defense. He is basically a bulldozer on offense with zero finesse.
How about McClung for that 3rd PG spot? He’s available, and LA is distracted with visions of a Lebron/Kyrie reunion. I’d feel pretty good about stealing another from them!
I’ve liked that idea for some time. My guess is the Kings are gonna work out Sasha’s deal first then see what is left for a 3rd string PG.
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