SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Late in the postseason is when it becomes the most apparent: The real championship contenders have players who excel on both ends of the floor.
The lackluster defenders get hunted by the stars on pick-and-roll switches, like when the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals looked to get their best players isolated on Miami Heat swingman Max Strus.
Offensive players who aren’t shooting threats are left alone, like how the Warriors dared Dallas Mavericks guard Frank Ntilikina to hurt them, allowing defenses to play five on four.
The teams with the most balance are most primed to make late playoff runs. Then the stars take over as the other part of the equation.
For the Sacramento Kings, a team trying desperately to end the longest playoff drought in NBA history, they should look for two-way players in the June 23 NBA draft. They need players who can become solutions to their long-standing defensive woes while not being a liability on the offensive end.
The Kings should take Keegan Murray
The Kings haven’t been an above-average defensive team since 2005-06, which not coincidentally, was the last time they reached the postseason. Their relative defensive rating has been worse than league average in the 16 seasons since, according to Basketball Reference. New head coach Mike Brown is a defensive specialist who needs better defensive talent if the Kings are going to make a leap in the crowded Western Conference.
Which is why the Kings should use the No. 4 pick in the upcoming NBA draft on Iowa star Keegan Murray.
This presumes the consensus top-three prospects — Paolo Banchero (Duke), Jabari Smith Jr. (Auburn) and Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga) — are off the board after the first three picks. The Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets have the first three picks, respectively.
That would leave Sacramento general manager Monte McNair to decide between Murray and a pair of scoring guards, Jaden Ivey (Purdue) and Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), who could also make sense for Sacramento.
But Murray is the best fit.
He would slide into the power forward role that was taken on by Trey Lyles and Chimezie Metu. Murray can space the floor, shoot from 3-point range (he shot 40% last season for the Hawkeyes) and he’s a heady player who rarely makes mistakes. The Kings could use a youngster with a veteran-like demeanor who can play big minutes. We’ve seen how this team handles high-upside guys that need development. It hasn’t gone well.
Some consider Murray the most NBA-ready player in the draft. He averaged 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals to complement his 23.5 points per game. He led Iowa to a Big Ten championship with a win over Ivey and Purdue, but the No. 5-seeded Hawkeyes were ousted in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Richmond (No. 12).
Ivey and Sharpe are messy fits
The goal is to always draft the best player available. But it’s also imperative to develop the player properly, and the Kings already have guards who need minutes. Which make Ivey or Sharpe messier fits. It might be difficult for the Kings to coalesce with another highly drafted guard in the mix, much like when Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox both needed the ball before Haliburton was shipped to Indiana at the trade deadline in February. Murray has Haliburton-like attributes at a different position.
Murray would presumably slide into the starting power forward role right away next to center Domantas Sabonis. Murray’s a perfect modern power forward thanks to his ability to guard multiple positions, hit shots from the outside and make plays for others. He could also work as a small-ball center, giving Sacramento lineup versatility when teams try to run Sabonis off the floor. With Murray and Sabonis, they won’t have to worry about being physically overpowered.
Ivey is intriguing, without a doubt. But the Kings don’t need another athletic combo guard with questions about his shooting or ability on defense — at least with Fox still on the roster. And we know how hard it is to move Fox, given what happened with the Haliburton and Fox dynamic the last two seasons.
Fox’s four years and $135 million remaining on his contract make him difficult to trade. And drafting another guard would make it awkward for both Fox and the rookie. It’s hard to imagine that situation helping the Kings get back to respectability any time soon. Alleviating a surplus of guards was one of the reasons for the Haliburton-for-Sabonis trade last winter.
Sharpe is a player worth considering. He would fit right into the two-guard role alongside Fox much more cleanly than Ivey. He’s arguably the best shooting wing in the draft and has immense athleticism. He’s been compared to players like Paul George and Bradley Beal. He would take over the spot occupied by Justin Holiday as a perimeter scorer who could benefit from Fox and Sabonis’ passing.
But Sharpe is young. He’ll turn 19 May 30, and he elected not to play for Kentucky last season, opting to take the year off to get ready for the draft. So there’s exactly no sample against top competition. Murray and Ivey each played two seasons in the Big Ten, making Sharpe one of the biggest gambles at the top of the draft.
Should the Kings take another gamble? They’ve had success with their last two draft picks by getting players who operate beyond their years in Haliburton and Davion Mitchell. Murray shares those same traits and would have no problem finding a role from Day 1, which might not be true for Ivey and Sharpe, particularly if the Kings are all in on getting back to the playoffs sooner rather than later.
