Murray set to become next Canadian NBA star
• Jamal Murray’s dream is about to come true.
The Kitchener hoops prodigy will join the evergrowing list of Canadians selected in the high- lottery of recent NBA drafts when somebody brings the freshman Kentucky guard into the fold on Thursday night.
Murray, who averaged a Wildcats first- year record 20 points a game after playing his high school ball at the Athlete Institute in Orangeville, and at Grand River Collegiate in Kitchener, is considered one of the top shooters in this class.
He could go as high as No. 3 to Boston, though Minnesota ( five) and New Orleans ( 6) are seen as his likeliest landing spots.
Though Kentucky coach John Calipari said Murray wants to join fellow Canadian Andrew Wiggins and ex- Wildcats star Karl- Anthony Towns in Minnesota, Murray wasn’t giving away anything on Wednesday.
“It would be a great fit just with those guys ... I would help the shooting. But any team I go to, I’m blessed to be with and I’m not picking one or the other, that would be a great young fit, ( but) any team would be fine,” Murray told a good- sized media scrum at a downtown Manhattan hotel.
Murray famously meditates to keep calm, but said he won’t be before the draft and is instead just trying to run through all of the possible outcomes on Thursday.
“I’m sure it’s not just me, but everybody else pictures who you play with and how you play and what jersey you’re going to wear and the fans and the celebration, all that comes into play,” he said.
“Yeah, I think I’ve thought about every possible scenario, playing with Wiggins, ( Towns), Devin Booker, ( Willie Cauley- Stein), playing for Toronto, I’ve thought of everything.”
Yes, he said Toronto, the local team he grew up supporting, which would mean he dropped down to nine.
“There’s no disappoint- ment in getting drafted. If I go 60th, I’m drafted, I’m in the NBA, I’m about to start my career,” Murray claimed.
“It will be fun, I’ ll make the most of it. You never know. Anything can happen.”
If Murray stays this calm and cool on the court, whoever gets him is going to be quite pleased.
Murray will become the highest NBA selection to have spent all of high school in Canada.
Wiggins ( No. 1 in 2014), Anthony Bennett ( No. 1, 2013), Tristan Thompson ( No. 4, 2011) and Nik Stauskas ( No. 8, 2014) were the other Canadians taken in the top-10 and others went in the lottery, later in the first or in the second round.
“It’s an amazing process, there’s a lot of responsibilities that come with being a pro. I’m enjoying it,” he said.
Murray f eels l i ke his shooting abilities will help his team spread the court, that he matured at Kentucky, lowered his turnovers and became more efficient, while also working on his overall game and how to play without the ball, which was necessitated by his move from point guard to shooting guard.
Calipari said recently that Murray should be the No. 1 pick in this draft.
Murray doesn’t lack for confidence. “Of course I believe I’m the best player. I’ve put so much work into this game,” he said.