The Kings are counting on Dennis Schröder’s on-ball defense to lighten Keegan Murray’s workload. With the veteran guard joining the starting unit, Murray said he expects to spend less time guarding opposing point guards — a shift that could free him up for other matchups.
“I think with Dennis, obviously it helps,” Murray said. “I won’t guard as many point guards as I did. Obviously, they’ll be versatile in where I guard, obviously, the best player on the court. But, obviously, Dennis is able to do that too. So, it’ll be interesting to see once we get into the season.”
Schröder, entering his 12th NBA season, has built a reputation as a relentless defender. The 32-year-old German guard averages 0.8 steals and 2.9 rebounds per game across his career.
That skill set could be crucial for a Sacramento team that finished last season with a 115.68 defensive rating, a number that often undercut the Kings’ high-powered offense.
With Schröder applying pressure on the perimeter, the Kings hope Murray can focus on defending bigger wings and conserving energy for his expanding offensive role.
“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,” Murray added. “We’ve seen improvement. At this point, it’s just going out against someone else and going out against the opponent, not obviously making that happen in the game. So, you can’t really just do it in practice and not do it in the game.”
Murray averaged 12.4 points and 6/7 rebounds last season while shooting .343 percent from three.
The Kings will find out soon enough if Schröder’s defensive edge can help Murray — and the team — strike a better balance.
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