What we learned as Murray aggressive in Kings’ loss to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – The Kings had a specific goal in mind entering Friday’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors – and they accomplished it.
No, not a win.
The result was a 109-106 Kings loss at Chase Center, but preseason is about more than wins and losses. It’s about adjustments, and Sacramento adjusted.
Sacramento’s 3-point defense Wednesday would’ve put the team on the wrong side of history if it wasn’t a preseason game. But after a slow start in that department Friday, the Kings cleaned that up early.
On the other end of the ball, though, the Kings’ shooting didn’t look great. They shot just 38.7 percent from the field, a lowly 28.3 percent from 3-point range and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Meanwhile, the Warriors shot 48.5 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range, also shooting an efficient 86.5 percent from the free-throw line.
But the Kings’ starting five looked sharp, and each player finished with double digits. Boogie Ellis led Sacramento’s bench players with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 3 of 5 from downtown.
While there were improvements throughout, there still are areas to work on. The Kings have three more preseason games to do so before their 2024-25 season opener on Oct. 24 at Golden 1 Center.
Here are the takeaways from Friday’s loss:
Aggressive Keegan a welcome sight
Mike Brown wants Murray, entering his third season, to be more aggressive with the ball. The Kings’ coach also wants all his players to be more aggressive on the other end of the floor.
Friday night, Murray did both.
Within the first two-and-a-half minutes of the game, Murray scored on all three levels. Layup, 3-pointer, then a drive to the basket which resulted in two free throws.
Murray finished with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 1 of 5 from 3-point range, with one rebound and two assists in 26 minutes.
He also had five of Sacramento’s 13 steals. The Warriors, as a team, had two takeaways.
Murray created shots for himself and others – unlocking new levels to his game from the spot-up 3-pointer shooter he was as a 22-year-old rookie two seasons ago.
And it’s a welcome sight for the Kings.
Righting their wrongs
The Warriors exposed an early concern for the Kings on Wednesday night – and it was an emphasis entering Friday’s preseason rematch.
Sacramento’s 3-point defense was a glaring issue in its preseason opener at Golden 1 Center, allowing Golden State to knock down 28 3s in the loss, and that extended into Friday’s game.
Temporarily.
Warriors forward Kyle Anderson knocked down consecutive 3s to open the game, and Brown wasted no time in calling his first timeout. Golden State was 8 of 11 from 3-point range in the first quarter but then made just one trey (1 of 9) in the second.
The adjustments Brown emphasized during Thursday’s practice took a while to click for his squad Friday, but better late than never, right?
The Warriors finished the game shooting 13 of 34 (38.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Take away that first quarter, and the Kings’ 3-point defense took a major leap.
The Big Three
Everyone with a pulse in Sacramento is excited about the Kings’ new Big Three.
Through two preseason games, they showed exactly why.
Fox finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and made four of his six 3-point attempts, adding seven rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes.
DeRozan added 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, with three rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block in 26 minutes.
Sabonis, who led the NBA last season in triple-doubles, double-doubles and rebounds, was back to his dominant ways Friday, finishing with a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. He was 5 of 9 from the field and added four assists.
There were questions about spacing after the Kings acquired DeRozan this summer. That has yet to be an issue for Sacramento and its unique offense.
If anything, having another player of DeRozan’s caliber only gives the Kings another lethal offensive option and/or presents more opportunities for others.
The pace, the Sabonis-DeRozan DHO game, the screens – all look smooth thus far.
While the shooting isn’t to the level the Kings would like and are capable of, that’s the least of Brown’s worries.