Now that Malik Monk is out until May and Kevin Huerter will not play again for the season, the Kings will have to do violence collectively to avoid experiencing a premature end to the year, while they are only 8th in the West (43-31) and therefore well on their way to going through the “play-in” box.
In order to resist the comebacks of the Lakers or the Warriors, and to qualify for a second consecutive playoff campaign, the men of Mike Brown will particularly need Keegan Murray And Harrison Barnes do more, to best help Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox.
“ Keegan needs to raise his game and [Harrison] Also » warns thus the coach of Sacramentowhich also has “ increased the minutes » by Davion Mitchell and saw Trey Lyles as well as Sasha Vezenkov return to his rotation.
Which ultimately agrees with the opinion of De'Aaron Fox : “ I think this opens the game up even more for us. » notes the leader, on the confidence and aggressiveness of his two teammates. “ If they're hot and the defenders keep focusing on me for example, I think it just makes the game easier for them. Even if they don't get in it, it still gives them easy shooting positions. »
New responsibilities to assume
Holders of positions 3/4, Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes will therefore be of capital importance at the heart of the end of the Kings season, since they will have to compensate for the loss of the 26 points on average brought by the Malik Monk – Kevin Huerter tandem.
“ With someone like Malik away, Domantas and I have to be better » De'Aaron Fox already declares, without shying away. “ But there will be games where it doesn't work and other players will need to raise their game. As a team, we need everyone to raise their voice, not just one person.. »
Thus, Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes must both assume their new responsibilities even if, according to Mike Brown, it is perhaps Murray who remains the most anticipated and who can really stand out from the game, given his recent individual progress.
“ Keegan has gotten to a point where he finds a way to score from every spot » explains the reigning Coach of the Year, already very protective of his 23-year-old player during the season. “ He's no longer just a 3-point shooter, he manages to get to the rim, he has a nice jump shot and now he can shoot 3-pointers off the dribble and on the move. »
| Keegan Murray | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 80 | 30 | 45.3 | 41.1 | 76.5 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 12.2 |
| 2023-24 | BAG | 69 | 33 | 46.3 | 36.1 | 81.7 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 15.0 |
| Total | 149 | 31 | 45.8 | 38.8 | 79.6 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 13.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
| Harrison Barnes | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | GOS | 81 | 25 | 43.9 | 35.9 | 75.8 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 9.2 |
| 2013-14 | GOS | 78 | 28 | 39.9 | 34.7 | 71.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 9.5 |
| 2014-15 | GOS | 82 | 28 | 48.2 | 40.5 | 72.0 | 1.4 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 10.1 |
| 2015-16 | GOS | 66 | 31 | 46.6 | 38.3 | 76.1 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 11.7 |
| 2016-17 | DAL | 79 | 36 | 46.8 | 35.1 | 86.1 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 19.2 |
| 2017-18 | DAL | 77 | 34 | 44.5 | 35.7 | 82.7 | 1.0 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 18.9 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 77 | 33 | 42.0 | 39.5 | 82.4 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 16.4 |
| 2018-19 * | DAL | 49 | 32 | 40.4 | 38.9 | 83.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 17.7 |
| 2018-19 * | BAG | 28 | 34 | 45.5 | 40.8 | 80.0 | 0.8 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 14.3 |
| 2019-20 | BAG | 72 | 35 | 46.0 | 38.1 | 80.1 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 14.5 |
| 2020-21 | BAG | 58 | 36 | 49.7 | 39.1 | 83.0 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 16.1 |
| 2021-22 | BAG | 77 | 34 | 46.9 | 39.4 | 82.6 | 1.1 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 16.4 |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 82 | 33 | 47.3 | 37.4 | 84.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 15.0 |
| 2023-24 | BAG | 74 | 29 | 48.3 | 39.9 | 80.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 12.5 |
| Total | 903 | 32 | 45.7 | 38.1 | 81.0 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 14.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
