The awards keep rolling in for the Sacramento Kings, as today Keegan Murray was announced to be a member of the 2022-23 All-Rookie First Team.
The 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team:
▪️ Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
▪️ Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
▪️ Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
▪️ Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
▪️ Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder pic.twitter.com/qUMfWkTN4m— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 8, 2023
Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Jabari Smith Jr., Jeremy Sochan and Tari Eason made up the Second Team.
It was a history making year for Keegan Murray, as he set the NBA rookie record for threes made in a season with 206, passing Donovan Mitchell’s record of 187. The 4th overall pick from Iowa played 80 games for the Kings and started in 78 of those, averaging 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in just under 30 minutes a game.
Murray joins Tyrese Haliburton, Marvin Bagley III, Buddy Hield, DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Jason Williams, Brian Grant, Lionel Simmons and Kenny Smith as other Kings rookies who have won First Team honors.
Everyone in the all-rookie team photo is yelling or smiling, and Keegan remains stone-faced as he thinks about that butterfly he saw on his way to the arena that morning.
The Murrays all seem rather stoic when being honored!
must have been a monarch
From babynames.com:
I guess the descendant of the fiery one is not fiery himself, at least not in terms of personality. Maybe fiery in the way he plays.
BTW, Paolo doesn’t have much of a smile in that picture, either. Kind of looks like he’s trying to cough up that insect that flew into his mouth (maybe that butterfly that Keegan saw?).
This is common amongst the Vulcan people. He’s just trying to solve the precise equation of jumping through worm holes.
Will Keegan smile when he hears the news? No, he will let others smile. He’s a team player.
Smiling would be illogical. He’s got more work to do.
Congrats, young fella! Hoping you can continue to improve your game into next season and become even better!
I remember feeling fine when Keegan was drafted, but I didn’t expect him to have the impact he did in his rookie year. Props to Monte for hitting another good draft pick.
Home run selection by Monte
I just don’t see it. He was drafted ahead of three players with much more upside to them. I think in 5 years there is no chance he is regarded as better than any of them. But he was drafted by a GM who needed to win because the owner is a petulant man-baby.
Keegan is nice. His floor and ceiling both look an awful lot like HB40, and that is a pretty good player. Just not one I want them to take at 4. He is a double in the gap that never threatens to leave the yard. Hali was a home run. Picked at a later slot and traded for an all-star big. This is not that.
Seems like a nice person, and I’m happy for his success.
In 5 years, I think Shaedon Sharpe will be the best player from this draft. I love Keegan and he is great for spacing the floor, but Sharpe has a jumper and a lot of bounce, and he can create on his own. My hope is Keegan develops an intermediate game to complement his three pointer.
He will. Already showing some signs in later games.
I’m excited for him, but Murray was way more one-dimensional than I envisioned. Aside from shooting threes he left some to be desired. I do see the potential, but with his length and size he needs to add some combination of shot creation, playmaking, rebounding, mid-range and post skills to his game.
I think it’s all a matter of experience and role. He was the 5th starter on a team that had more experienced players, so he filled the role that was needed. I see the next part of his game to develop being mid-range and cutting, followed by increased shot creation.
We saw the rebounding improve as the season went on, same with the defense.
Agree – I don’t believe Mike Brown would have let a one-dimensional player start or play so many minutes (i.e. if Buddy Hield were still in Sac, I can’t imagine Coach would have played him as much as he played Keegan). The coaching staff had enough confidence in his defense to keep him on the court (and they did pull him when they felt he was underperforming).
His 3 point shooting, his “one skill” was tremendous for a rookie. His record breaking season is testimony to that.
I appreciate that Coach Brown and his teammates – Domas and De’Aaron in particular – made it very clear that they are all charmed by Keegan – and I don’t think it was because of the Chick-Fill-A
Keegan is High basketball IQ. Makes sense that coach Brown wanted him on the court in most situations. Buddy’s basketball IQ… left a lot to be desired.
Buddy’s BBIQ leaves the moment he has the ball in his hands.
I agree, he was certainly one dimensional.
Being a rookie I won’t knock him for it.
I see some potential Kris Middleton growth for KM. Similar body types, shooting style and athleticism. It took Kris quite some time to become who he was in his prime and the second or third best player on a championship team. If KM can become the third player behind Fox and Domas, I’d call that a huge win.
It also speaks to my stance that KM is a starting 3, not a 4. KM and Domas don’t have the athleticism to both be playing the 4 and 5 a ton.
Pick up a 4 like Naz Reid or Christian Wood to fill the 4 and it’ll benefit Domas and KM a ton.
I really like Naz Reid
Jack—- we agree!!!!
I like the Christian Wood skill set but his brain/attitude-? nope.
Reid would help.
One dimensional? Seriously? He led the team in blocks and was second in rebounds. If he was one dimensional what does that make Barnes, Huerter, or Mitchell?
I don’t get the one dimensional thing at all. He has much more than shooting.
I think Christian Wood should be a hard target for Monte. It should be the first move so we can still resign Barnes and go over the cap.
Woods on a s&t for Holmes and this year’s 1st.
Resign Barnes
Use mle and bi for lyles and Sasha
Ready for another top 4 seed.
I would rather have Naz Reid than Woods.
Look at his rebounding stats for tyhe last quarter of the year.
could not rebound at all early on. Ended with I think 4.6 average?
Gets the rookie three point record, called one-dimensional. SMH
Pointing out one specific skill to counter the one-dimensional tag may not be such compelling evidence.
We can argue about whether Keegan was one-dimensional this season, but we can also acknowledge that there are many aspects of his game that need significant improvement, while also acknowledging that he is young and has plenty of room for growth.
We must also remember that growth is not a given, nor always a linear affair. After the last part of last season, we expected a bigger jump offensively from Davion, but he remained spotty. Fox made huge jumps early on, then plateaued until he made another jump this season. And then you have Tyreke, who due to various reasons never got to his rookie level.
I love Keegan, and I am excited about his future, while I am aware that he could just as well have a sophomore slump as take off to where no man has gone before.
Live long and prosper.
Pointing out one specific skill to counter the one-dimensional tag may not be such compelling evidence.
Lol, was my exact thought, of course most agree with that take. Funny as hell.
You guys need to listen to coach Brown on what he thinks about Keegan Murray. He certainly knows more than we do.
He led NCAA in scoring his last year. Shot close to 30% from 3- that was not his primary game. He has game but did not show it.
Congrats.
Want him to go the way of Peja- not MB3.
He will.
I don’t see one dimensional at all. He definitely has one elite skill, shooting. His defense was decent, but without any glaring holes. He was switchable, played the gaps, and provided some rim protection from the weak side. Should have rebounded better, and should have finished better at the rim. Both of those improved as the season progressed.
He’s a player that was great at one thing and not a liability anywhere else. That’s not one dimensional.
That’s a pretty solid 10 rookies there. I don’t know if any will be superstars but I expect a few to be All-Stars. Those ten are heavy on frontcourt – Banchero, Murray, Kessler, Duren, Eason, Sochan and Smith, Jr. with Mathurin and Williams as wings and the lone backcourt player in Jaden Ivey. Lots to like about all of these young’uns.
Maybe Kris will do a smile photo for Keegan.
Ended up being quite the rookie class.
Excited to see if MM can find a late round gem this year.
+First Team All Rookie
+Clutch Player of the Year
+League Leading Rebounder and Second Most Triple Doubles
+Coach of the Year
+Executive of the Year
The future is bright. Let’s keep beaming.
That’s a successful as heck year.
Crazy to think that it easily could have included beating both our regional rivals.
Hopefully next year.
Made the playoffs
+ two all-stars!
+ 6th man of the year nominee
+ 5th in MVP voting
+ Most 3s by a rookie
+ Most improved franchise
+ Nickname of the year (Red Velvet)
+ Catchphrase of the year (Light The Beam!)
+ Monte of the year (voted by The Monte Club; beat out “Monte Carlo” and “Del Monte” for the award)
Monte Cristo sandwich ineligible this year due to PED suspension likely from juiced hogs. Asterisk!
Very happy to see it.
I’ve said this here on multiple occasions, but I’ve never seen a rookie improve so much over the course of a single season. His 3PT shooting jumps of the page, but the things that made me most optimistic were the developments in passing and in-between game. Defensively he struggles on quicker guards (which most players do), but he showed that he can become a very good team defender (I love the charges) and a pretty good on-ball defender.
In short: the future is bright for this young man and I hope he stays for a long time.
Come on guys, at least use his dope af nickname, Keegan Murray.
Yes, we should use his dope ass Nick name.
Spock
Shoot long and prosper.
I’m on board with Spock. That fits.
He’s a good Spock Up Shooter.
Nah his nickname is Keegan Murray.
KEEGANNNNNNNNNN
MUUUUUUUUURAAAAAAY
Congratulations Keegan! This is something we all can be proud of. You’re only going to get better.
Bagley was selected for this as well.
Now go win something that matters.
Luka Doncic was selected for this as well.
Ja Morant was selected for this as well.
And what award do they have that matters?
Love Keegan and the recognition is good for his contract but nothing else. Keegan likely feels the same.
He will.
I think he will too.
Looking forward to when Spock takes the leap from Lieutenant to Commander.
I’ve been waiting for this Kings Herald T-shirt
Keegan Murray with the same expression: Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared, Hopeful, Excited, Kings Win, Kings Lose, Kings Championship
Badge Legend