Former Iowa Hawkeyes star gets huge NBA prediction

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Keegan Murray is now entering his third NBA season, all with the Sacramento Kings.

While Murray certainly showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons, many are wondering if the former No. 4 overall pick will make the jump in year three.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale seems to agree and has made a pretty significant prediction for Murray in the 2024-25 campaign: He'll get All-Defense votes.

“In Sacramento, he will have the same level of responsibility — if not a greater workload,” Favale wrote of Murray on defense. “And the rest of the basketball world will take notice. Predicting an All-Defense appearance is too ambitious. But he will get votes – a consideration that won’t feel wrong.”

The Kings signed DeMar DeRozan over the summer, meaning Murray will likely spend more time guarding power forwards this year.

And that's what makes Murray so valuable defensively: his versatility.

Murray can guard multiple positions and even defended Stephen Curry last season. He has the size, length, athleticism and skill to cover many different types of players effectively and he has already proven that.

The 24-year-old averaged 15.2 points and 5.5 rebounds over 33.6 minutes per game on 45.4/35.8/83.1 shooting splits last season. His efficiency could definitely improve, but this isn't about Murray's offense; it's about his defense.

And who knows? Maybe Murray will make a big leap on offense too.