Tag: Kris Murray

Trail Blazers make history with all rookie starting lineup in consecutive games

With the Trail Blazers down several veterans, coach Chauncey Billups has been forced to lean on his rookies of late.

With the Portland Trail Blazers down several veterans, coach Chauncey Billups has been forced to lean on his rookies and it has resulted in a rather rare starting lineup combination.

Playing without Deandre Ayton (elbow), Malcolm Brogdon (elbow), Jerami Grant (hamstring), Shaedon Sharpe (core muscle), Anfernee Simons (knee), Robert Williams III (knee) and Matisse Thybulle (ankle), the Trail Blazers have had been short-handed.

Billups started five first-year players on Saturday against Denver: Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Duop Reath, Rayan Rupert and Scoot Henderson. It marked the second time a team started five rookies in a game since starters were first tracked on box scores in the 1970-71 season; Golden State became the first team to do so in April 2012. Billups kept that starting lineup on Monday against Houston, making them the first team to start five rookies in multiple games in the same season.

The lineup dropped to 0-2 after losing 110-92 to the Rockets in the first of a seven-game road trip. Dalano Banton paced the team with 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists off the bench, while Henderson had 15 points and Camara added 12 points for the Trail Blazers (19-53).

Murray (4 points), Reath (8) and Rupert (9) combined for 21 points.

Billups expects some of their injured players to return at some point over their last 10 games of the season. However, in the meantime, that starting group of rookies will have the opportunity to log extended minutes to close out the season.

“I think we have so much growth and development that needs to happen,” Billups said, via Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “Obviously, we know we’re not going to the playoffs. But these dudes need to get better. They need to get to know each other while paying. The only way you get better at basketball is playing basketball.”

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Trail Blazers’ Chauncey Billups praises Kris Murray: He doesn’t make very many mistakes

Kris Murray has seen sporadic minutes with the Trail Blazers, but earned praise from coach Chauncey Billups for staying ready.

Kris Murray has seen sporadic minutes this season with the Portland Trail Blazers, but the 23rd pick earned praise from coach Chauncey Billups for staying ready and playing with confidence.

Murray has made 30 appearances with the Trail Blazers entering play on Thursday. He has played in mop-up duty several times and even had stints in the G League with the Rip City Remix earlier this season in November and December.

The 23-year-old recently had the opportunity to make his first start with the Trail Blazers short-handed. He recorded eight points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in 19 minutes on Sunday in a 112-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Billups liked how Murray performed in that contest.

Kris is a player who doesn’t make very many mistakes. He does it right all of the time. He’ll have a chase-down block here or an offensive rebound here, he is going to do something to impact the game; it is what you’re always going to get from him. I think his confidence is just starting to pick up. The more he plays, the more confident he becomes.

Murray is averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds on 38.1% shooting from the field in 12.7 minutes per game with the Trail Blazers. His numbers with the Remix in the G League: 14.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and one steal.

He was highly touted after three years at Iowa, given his ability to play on both ends of the court. He has displayed those attributes in a limited sample size this season and is looking to continue that effort for this year and beyond.

Above all else, Murray wants to play the right way, as Billups alluded to.

That is something I try to do every single day: Play the right way and just do what (Coach) tells me to do. I don’t want to be someone who Coach has got to ask to do something two or three times. It should only take once or none at all.

The organization is high on his potential to develop into a franchise cornerstone. He has impressed the coaching staff and his teammates thus far and will be looking to carry that momentum throughout the rest of his rookie campaign.

“He is such a consistent person and player,” Matisse Thybulle said. “The way he shows up and does his job. He has an effortless approach and way he moves around the court to where it doesn’t really seem like he is exerting himself. He is constantly one of the first guys down the court, crashing the glass and being able to play on each side of the ball. I think from Day 1 to now, the most impressive thing is just how consistent he has been.”

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Twin brothers Keegan, Kris Murray swap jerseys after first NBA meeting

Twin brothers Keegan and Kris Murray faced off for the first time in the NBA when the Kings hosted the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Twins Keegan Murray and Kris Murray faced off for the first time in the NBA when the Sacramento Kings hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Keegan and the Kings picked up the 121-118 victory in overtime to improve to 3-4. He produced nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes of work in their first of three games against the Trail Blazers.

Kris made just his third appearance of the season in the contest. He logged nine minutes and recorded one block during his time on the court, which came, as fate would have it, against his brother.

“He is going to hear about it at Thanksgiving,” Kris said.

Heading into the matchup, there was some uncertainty whether Kris would play. He is outside the rotation, but with the team dealing with injuries, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups turned to him.

Kris is a guy we believe in, and have high hopes for him and our future. It was just his turn, and it just so happened that he was playing against his brother, so, of course, I’m a coach that has a heart, and I wanted that to be a special moment for him and his family.

The contest on Wednesday was the first time Keegan and Kris have squared off against each other at any level of basketball. They have been together at every stop of their careers, with the two most recently teammates in college at Iowa.

Their parents, Kenyon and Michelle, were at the Golden 1 Center to witness the matchup. Watching them play each other was nerve-wracking, Kenyon said on NBC Sports California.

“Obviously, I wanted to support both of them,” Kenyon said, wearing a Trail Blazers shirt under a Kings zip-up hoodie. “My wife was a little more of the neutral girl tonight, but it was fun. I think it is just part of the story. For them to be able to be here and have the opportunity to not only play in the NBA but to play against each other was really cool as a family.”

The twins played two seasons together with the Hawkeyes before Keegan left to become the fourth pick by the Kings last year. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and set the all-time 3-point record by a rookie in a season (206).

Kris was a consensus third-team All-American last season and was the only player to average at least 20 points, seven rebounds and one block with at least 65 3s. He was drafted 23rd by the Trail Blazers, one spot ahead of the Kings.

They were nearly reunited again, too.

After the draft, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Kings were interested in drafting Kris to pair with Keegan. With their player off of the board, the organization ultimately traded their pick to gain cap flexibility.

The past year was, essentially, the longest they have been apart from each other. They linked up over the summer and trained together before the draft before Kris joined the Trail Blazers.

Despite the distance between them, they still keep in contact daily.

“We talk every day, regardless of if we’re playing against each other or not,” Keegan said, via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40. “We communicate and FaceTime every single day. Usually, we don’t even talk about basketball stuff. We talk about life and stuff like that.”

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10 NBA rookies make predictions for their first game before the season begins

There are so many great answers from this NBA rookie class.

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After completing their first offseason, a new class of NBA rookies are ready to step on the court to make their professional debuts.

While nothing can compare with the special moment of hearing their name called in the NBA Draft, it is assuredly a surreal feeling to have your lifelong dreams realized on the hardwood.

We spoke to 10 rookies from the 2023 draft class about all of the emotions they anticipate feeling once they officially begin their professional careers as NBA athletes.

Here is what each prospect said about what they expect when they play on the parquet courts in front of thousands of fans.

These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.

NBA 2K24: Ratings revealed for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday.

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday across all platforms around the world.

The latest installment of NBA 2K features three distinct editions, each honoring Kobe Bryant. The game, for the first time, also allows for crossplay, meaning users on different gaming consoles can still play with their friends online.

In addition to many of the new features and updates unveiled in the game, fans are equally as excited to see the initial player ratings. Of course, with a new group of players set to enter the league, many are curious to see how the rookie class would be graded.

The franchise, led by marketing director Ronnie 2K, previously revealed the ratings for several first-rounders this year. With the game officially available for purchase around the world, the grades for each rookie have been unveiled.

Here are the ratings for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

NBA schedule 2023-24: The top rookie matchups of the season

The 2023-24 season features several highly-anticipated matchups among the rookie class

The NBA released the 2023-24 season schedule for every team on Thursday after previously unveiling the in-season tournament schedule this week.

The regular season will tip off on Oct. 24 with the Denver Nuggets hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in the first game of a doubleheader on TNT. The Nuggets, as the defending champions, will receive their rings before the contest. Phoenix will visit Golden State in the second game.

The schedule features several highly anticipated matchups, including the debut of No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25. The contest against the Dallas Mavericks will air on ESPN and is one of 19 nationally televised games for the Spurs.

Of course, the dates for some other key matchups were also unveiled in the schedule announcement on Thursday. The season will feature plenty of intrigue throughout the rookie class.

Here are some of the top rookie matchups for the 2023-24 season.

Note: This list is different from the top Wembanyama games.

ESPN draft analyst raves about Kris Murray’s arrival, Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA draft

ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony loves the Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA draft and the selection of Iowa’s Kris Murray.

NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently extolled praise for how the Portland Trail Blazers approached this year’s NBA draft.

Givony raved about the Trail Blazers’ draft in a video on Twitter, captioning it, “I love how the Portland Trailblazers drafted last night; picking Scoot Henderson and Kris Murray in the first round, and then positioning to snag Rayan Rupert in the second.”

Of course, everyone has nothing but good things to say about the Blazers’ third-overall pick Scoot Henderson. Many saw him as the second-best player in the draft, one worthy of a first-overall selection in a non-Victor Wembanyama year.

Whether or not they look to pair Scoot with star point guard Damian Lillard to create a dynamic backcourt, or if they see Scoot as Dame’s successor we will have to see. Whatever direction they go with, Murray is the perfect complementary player, as described by Givony in the interview.

“He’s a very good complementary player for Portland to add. A guy like Damian Lillard looks at him and says ‘Okay, this guy’s turning 23 in August, I can work with this. This isn’t a teenager,” Givony said.

That is a very important thing to note. Murray is not the youngest player in this draft, but for the type of player he is, that experience actually works to his advantage. The Trail Blazers aren’t drafting Kris Murray to be a superstar or someone to carry the team. They already have Damian Lillard and they just drafted Scoot Henderson with that type of future in mind.

What Portland needs now is to start constructing a cohesive roster around their stars. They already have some pretty good guard play, especially with recent draft picks Shaedon Sharpe and now Scoot Henderson.

What they need are those glue guys. The role players who can come in, play off the stars, and help the team in multiple areas. As Givony pointed out, Murray is just that type of 3-and-D wing player.

Whoever Portland decides to build their franchise around, you can be sure that Kris Murray will be a great complementary fit.

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Rip City bound! Twitter reacts to Portland’s selection of Kris Murray

Kris Murray is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers! Social media celebrated as Portland drafted Murray to Rip City with pick No. 23.

After a magical third season in Iowa City, Kris Murray is officially a first-round NBA draft pick.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Murray with the No. 23 overall selection in the 2023 NBA draft. A 6-foot-8, 220 pound forward, Murray joins a roster that is headlined by superstar guard Damian Lillard.

In the process, Murray became the Hawkeyes’ fourth NBA draft pick in the past three drafts. Kris also joins his twin brother, Keegan, as a first-round NBA draft pick. It marked the first time since the 1970 and 1971 drafts that Iowa had players drafted in the first round in back-to-back years.

The Murrays are also the fifth set of twins drafted in the NBA draft’s first round, joining joining Horace and Harvey Grant (1987; 1988), Brook and Robin Lopez (2008), Markieff and Marcus Morris (2011) and Amen and Ausar Thompson (2023).

Murray is the 58th Hawkeye all-time to be drafted and the 23rd in the NBA’s top two rounds. In addition to he and Keegan, Roy Devyn Marble, Aaron White, Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp have all been drafted during the Fran McCaffery era.

Murray finished the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season by averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He shot 47.6% from the floor and 33.5% from 3-point range.

All of those numbers earned Murray first-team All-Big Ten recognition from both the Big Ten media and the Associated Press. He was also a consensus third-team All-American.

Social media had all sorts of reactions to the pick by the Trail Blazers. Hawkeye fans and media were naturally very, very happy for the next step in Kris’ basketball journey.

Meet Trail Blazers rookie Kris Murray, who’s creating his own basketball identity separate from twin Keegan

We caught up with Iowa’s Kris Murray.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Iowa’s Kris Murray is hoping to do something that has never been done before. He wants to eventually win an NBA championship with his identical twin, Keegan Murray.

Last season, the Kings selected Keegan, who declared after his sophomore year with the Hawkeyes, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. One year later, Kris is projected to hear his name called on draft night as well.

Kris averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists while adding 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game for Iowa.

He was one of just three players in Division I men’s college basketball to record at least 200 rebounds, 30 steals, 30 blocks and 60 3-pointers last season. The other two were Brandon Miller and Taylor Hendricks, who are both projected top-10 picks in For The Win’s consensus mock draft.

All things considered, it was a successful campaign during his first-ever season playing without Keegan.

“We’ve been together for so long, and I’m grateful that he’s been my teammate for the time that he was,” Murray told For The Win. “But having my own team and being able to play without him helped me grow my game and helped me create my own identity.” 

While it was a new challenge for his parents to have one son playing in Sacramento and another playing in Iowa, they will soon know where Kris will suit up next season.

The good news for their parents: ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft has Kris selected by the Kings as the No. 24 overall pick.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Final 2023 NBA mock draft projections for Kris Murray

Final projections for Kris Murray’s 2023 NBA draft landing spot tonight are in! Here’s where the nation thinks Murray is most likely headed.

Tonight’s the night! The 2023 NBA draft is here. After all sorts of speculation, the future is now for the NBA’s next wave of stars.

Just like his twin brother before him, Kris Murray is about to embark upon those NBA draft waters this evening. Widely presumed as a first-round NBA draft pick, Murray will find out his professional destination this evening.

One thing is for sure. The Cedar Rapids product is going to make some NBA franchise very happy tonight and going forward. A 6-foot-8, 220 pound forward, Murray lit up the stat sheet this past season with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Murray finished the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season by averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He shot 47.6% from the floor and 33.5% from 3-point range.

All of those numbers earned Murray first-team All-Big Ten recognition from both the Big Ten media and the Associated Press. He was also a consensus third-team All-American.

Tonight’s NBA draft will take place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., beginning at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN and ABC. Without further ado, let’s take one final look at where some of the experts nationally think Murray might wind up.

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