The Celtic fan’s guide to falling in love with Jamal Murray
The freshman sharpshooter believes he's the best player in this year's draft class
The basics:Position:
Point guard, shooting guard
Height: 6-5
Weight: 201 lbs
Age: 19
College: Kentucky
Year: Freshman
The game: Outside shooting is a commodity tough to find in the top half of the NBA Draft this year, but Murray is one player guaranteed to provide it at the pro level. The Canadian guard was the primary option within John Calipari’s offense, largely based on his catch and shoot ability coming off screens and on kickouts. He played point guard for the majority of his early career before being shifted to the two-guard at Kentucky, making him a candidate to play both spots at the pro level. Questions about his athleticism, particularly on the defensive end, will make teams wonder whether he can handle big minutes against top-level competition on both ends of the floor.
The statistics (2015-16 season): 20.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 45.4 FG%, 40.8 3PT%
The NBA-ready skill: 3-Point range. Murray wasn’t just an accurate 3-point shooter at the college level (40 percent), he was a frequent one, attempting 7.7 shots per game from distance. With NBA teams looking to spread the floor more than ever, Murray is capable of stepping right in to provide that valuable skill set.
Needs to improve: Containing dribble penetration. While he filled up the box score on the offensive end at Kentucky, opposing offenses regularly targeted his lackluster defense on the perimeter. Murray struggled staying in front of speedy point guards at the point of attack. It’s unclear whether he has the size/strength to handle NBA wings, so Murray has to work on his defensive mechanics to show he can hold his own.
The hype: While Murray declared himself as the best player in the draft at the Celtics draft workout last week, the pundits disagree with that assessment. Despite Boston’s need for shooting, only one draft expert (Gary Parrish of CBS Sports) has the 19-year-old heading to the Celtics at No. 3. The consensus for the time being has Murray falling in the 6-8 range, largely due to concerns about his defensive potential. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress explains:
Defensively, Murray will also require an adjustment period in making the step up to the NBA level. He was somewhat of a traffic cone early on in the season for Kentucky, but he did learn how to be more fundamentally sound and competitive as the year moved on. …He is somewhat of a controversial prospect, as his lack of athleticism is not what you typically find in a guard prospect projected to be picked in the top five to seven spots in the draft.
The highlights:
The Celtics’ historical comp: A sharpshooter dealing with question marks on the defensive end? The easy choice here is Ray Allen. Murray has a smooth stroke that brings back memories of No. 20, but he lacks the offensive creation ability off the dribble that Allen possessed early in his career. If Murray’s career ends up being half as productive as Allen’s, whatever team drafts him at No. 3 will be happy.
Bust potential: Murray’s offensive arsenal makes his bust potential low, but his ceiling could be limited due to concern about his defense, shot creation ability, and decision making. When you select a player at No. 3, you want to be getting (at the very least) a starter caliber player, but Murray’s limitations could make him a liability against opposing offenses for his entire career.
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