Keegan Murray Anticipates Defensive Growth with Dennis Schröder's Arrival

Sacramento Kings star Keegan Murray is confident that the addition of veteran guard Dennis Schröder will significantly aid his defensive development and lighten his workload during the upcoming NBA season. Murray expects to guard fewer opposing point guards, allowing him to focus on defending bigger wings and conserving energy for his expanding offensive role. He stated, “I think with Dennis, obviously it helps. I won’t guard as many point guards as I did.” Murray also noted, “Obviously, with Dennis, it helps me a lot in the starting unit to pick up four court, disrupt the ball handling and things like that.” The Kings hope Schröder's on-ball defense, a skill for which he has a strong reputation (averaging 0.8 steals and 2.9 rebounds career), will improve the team's 115.68 defensive rating from last season. Murray averaged 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, shooting .343 percent from three.