Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray continues to see big minutes for the Western Conference contenders.
The second-year forward led the team with 39 minutes in Sacramento’s 102-101 home victory against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 4-of-15 shooting and knocked in a pair of free throws.
Despite the shooting struggles, Murray led the team with a plus-minus of three, showing his ability to affect the game in other areas besides scoring.
The Kings had three days of rest before playing the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Murray racked up seven points, two rebounds, and one assist over 33 minutes in his team’s 107-89 loss to the Rockets. The shooting slump continued to be a problem for Murray, who went 3-for-12 from the field and 1-for-8 from the arc.
Murray continues to see a ton of action despite struggling to put the ball in the basket. The 6-foot-8, 225-pounder provides a high IQ and versatility on the defensive end. He shot 41 percent from three throughout his rookie season, finishing within the top-20 in the entire NBA in three-point percentage. The shooting struggles will most likely fade as the season goes on.
Keegan Murray’s twin brother, Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray, continues to see a lack of playing time to start his NBA career.
Portland has fully committed to rebuilding after trading away seven time all-star Damian Lillard during the offseason. Despite this, Kris Murray continues to compete for minutes on a team filled with young talent and veteran players.
The 23-year old rookie saw no action throughout the team’s four-game slate this week. The Trail Blazers went 3-1 during that span. He has logged 11 total minutes and did not play in five of the team’s first seven games.
During the offseason, Portland announced its plans of creating the Rip City Remix, an expansion team of the G League. As the G League season kicks off on Nov. 10, Murray should be able to develop in hopes of making the rotation for the Trail Blazers.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza remains to be an afterthought in the rotation.
The third-year player saw just over a minute of playing time in the 127-113 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Garza tallied two points and one rebound in that minute.
Garza didn’t receive any playing time in the next two contests. Not only that, but he wasn’t even listed on the roster.
Garza will get plenty of opportunities to play on the Timberwolves G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, once the season kicks off.