The self-confidence has been greatly improved! Can the Blazers new forward star finally play a positive role?

In a previous NBA preseason game, the Portland Trail Blazers at home narrowly defeated the Sacramento Kings 124-123. After this game, the Trail Blazers achieved their first victory during the preseason, with a current record of 1 win and 1 loss; while the Kings suffered two consecutive losses during the preseason, with a current record of 0 wins and 2 losses.

In this game, the performance of the Trail Blazers' substitute forward star Kris Murray is worthy of recognition. Murray played 22 minutes and 40 seconds, making 3 of 4 shots, 0 of 1 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 3 free throws. He scored 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. He also had 1 turnover and 1 foul, with a plus-minus of 0. Murray's tactical position on the court is relatively limited, and he does not take many shots, but he still shows quite good finishing ability at the basket, and he is also very tough on the offensive end. Not only that, Murray also dares to be more intense on the defensive end, and he can also have a certain effect on the defensive end. Overall, although Murray's performance cannot be considered particularly outstanding, he also completed his task very well, and he also made his own contribution to the team's victory.

Murray was born on August 19, 2000. He is 25 years old, 203cm tall and 98kg in weight. He is a forward player from the University of Iowa selected by the Trail Blazers with the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. In the NBA regular season last season, Murray played a total of 69 times in 82 games, averaging 15.1 minutes per game. He averaged 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.5 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 41.9% from the field, 22.5% from the three-point range, and 45.6% from the free throw line. In the previous preseason game when the team lost to the Golden State Warriors, Murray made 4 of 5 shots, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and 2 of 2 free throws in 19 minutes and 16 seconds of playing time. He scored 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, with a plus-minus of -4.

Although Murray is a first-round pick, his performance in the past two seasons can be said to be very disappointing. Compared with his twin brother Keegan Murray, there is really a big gap. The most critical thing is that Murray did not make any substantial progress last season, which also made everyone very worried about his development. However, at least in these two preseason games, Murray's performance was quite outstanding. He seemed to have made great progress on both offense and defense, and his confidence on the court has also improved a lot. Considering that Murray is already 25 years old, he is not that young anymore. If he cannot seize the opportunity to prove his strength in the new season, it may become very difficult for him to gain a foothold in the NBA.