I thought Keegan played great D in the 1st quarter against RJ Barrett, but it tapered away in the 2nd half of the game where he had some brutal possessions. In the 3rd quarter, RJ Barrett started to control the pace of the game and the Knicks started their comeback.
When they were making their 3rd quarter run, they targeted Keegan on defense in consecutive possessions where he wasn't able to hold his own:
This was the play that got him benched in the 4th:
Keegan has improved in the passing lanes, but I'm not seeing the defensive prowess some are starting to claim. Right now, I would rate his defense as average. Needs to get quicker/stronger, but stronger is easier than getting quicker.
When they were making their 3rd quarter run, they targeted Keegan on defense in consecutive possessions where he wasn't able to hold his own:
These consecutive defensive possessions got Keegan Murray sent to the bench for practically the rest of Q3.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) March 11, 2023
Despite a solid Q1, gotta think these defensive moments are what led to him only playing 25 minutes compared to his typical ~30/g.
Also, Trey Lyles was playing great. pic.twitter.com/BDTedm5Lsq
This was the play that got him benched in the 4th:
This is the exact possession that led to Coach Brown deciding it was time to go with Lyles > Murray.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) March 11, 2023
It was one of the funnier ATO plays I've ever seen. https://t.co/aCeKwLoRcl pic.twitter.com/5l0OD3OkBe
Keegan has improved in the passing lanes, but I'm not seeing the defensive prowess some are starting to claim. Right now, I would rate his defense as average. Needs to get quicker/stronger, but stronger is easier than getting quicker.