Keegan Murray

PG13 has ‘elite' Murray on list of best current NBA shooters

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Keegan Murray turned heads during his rookie season with the Kings, and he's already made his way onto elite-level status.

At least in Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George's opinion.

On a recent "Podcast P with Paul George" episode, George and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson each put together a starting five of the best shooters in the league today, without repeating any players. Going down the list by position, George named Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal as the two guards he believes are the best shooters in today's game.

When it got to choosing a forward, George wasn't able to select himself because Thompson already had picked him. After much consideration, George revealed his answer.

"This is a sleeper, I'm going to go Keegan Murray," he said. "He's elite at the 3-pointer. Such an early -- and hopefully this isn't just one of those one-offs where he just has a hell of a regular season -- but he's got a canon.

"He can shoot the s--t out of it. Big wing. He's elite."

Thompson, one of the greatest shooters ever, also had plenty of praise for the young forward.

"Yeah, he can shoot," Thompson said. "He's going to be a good player. He was great in the playoffs, too. For a rookie, that's a lot to make that impact.

"I measure a guy like how comfortable you feel leaving him open. I don't feel comfortable leaving Murray open. That's going in."

Last season, Murray broke the NBA rookie 3-point record, surpassing Donovan Mitchell's 2017-18 mark of 187, and finishing the regular season with 206 made treys.

Thompson got to scout and test Murray in the Warriors' first-round playoff series against the Kings last season. While it took the former No. 4 pick some time to warm up under the bright lights of the postseason, Murray finished the last four games of the seven-game series averaging 14.5 points on a stellar 51.1-percent shooting from the field and 45.8 percent from behind the arc, along with 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 35 minutes played.

Murray had a significant impact on the Kings' ability to turn things around last season, helping snap their notorious 17-year playoff drought. On top of breaking records and playing a vital role as a starter for a playoff team as a rookie, Murray was named to the 2022-23 All-NBA Rookie First Team.

And it's just the beginning for Murray, who's expected to make a sophomore leap as the Kings brace and hope for another successful season.

But in just his short time in the league, it's evident that game recognizes game.

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