The start of the NBA season is filled with small sample sizes and can lead to some odd statistics to start the year, but after six games, trends begin to emerge and the numbers begin to even out.

So far the numbers are clear; Keegan Murray Sacramento Kings‘the most important player.

With Keegan on the court, the Kings have a net rating of +14.2. When seated this drops to -24.3. For reference, Golden State Warriors While leading the league with a net rating of +17.6, Utah Jazz The league’s tempo is at -18.3.

Like previous seasons, the Kings entered this year with limited wing depth, and Keegan is currently averaging 37.7 minutes per game, seventh-most in the league.

Much of the drop in production when Keegan sits is due to Trey Lyles being slow to return to form after injury. Lyles is scoring 3.8 points per game on 25% shooting from the field and 23.8% shooting from 3-point range.

Trey’s numbers are bound to come up, but it explains the huge difference in Keegan’s on/off numbers. Given the current make-up of the roster, there aren’t many options other than Lyles to spell Keegan.

The biggest takeaway from these departures was that Keegan played extremely well to start the year. He’s shooting just 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, but has looked aggressive offensively through the first six games.

When we combine this with his rebounding, which has increased from 5.5 rebounds last season to 8.0 this year, and his continued improvement defensively, it’s easy to see why he’s had such a big impact on the team’s success.

There is no one else on the roster who can do everything Keegan Murray can do on the field. He has developed into such a versatile player early in his career that the time he spends off the field is hard to replace.

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