The Portland Trail Blazers essentially had no choice but to start Kris Murray in their 127-110 home loss to the Phoenix Suns. But when the Blazers get back to full strength, interim head coach Tiago Splitter should seriously consider whether Murray is even playable at this point.
Even when Murray started with Jrue Holiday (calf soreness), Jerami Grant (illness), and Scoot Henderson (hamstring tear) sidelined, he still managed to score just three points. He played 25 minutes, finishing with three points and four rebounds on 1-of-4 shooting from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, resulting in a game-worst -29.
Kris Murray is becoming unplayable for the Blazers
The Blazers' offense struggled with so few playmakers and shot creators. They already have two somewhat liabilities in their starting lineup between Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan, and can't afford to have another out there shrinking the floor. Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija have done most of the heavy lifting for Portland's offense as of late, but even Sharpe has struggled with his shot, connecting on just 27.5% of his three-point attempts this season.
It would be one thing if Portland's defense were elite enough to compensate for this, but they have been highly disappointing in that aspect to start the season, ranking just 22nd in defensive rating (116.7).
This loss was a prime example of why Murray doesn't fit into the Blazers' young core. On multiple occasions, they tried to run in transition and would collapse the defense only to kick it out to Murray, who stalled the offense by passing open shots out on the perimeter. In half-court sets, he also shrinks the floor too much, making life that much more difficult for Sharpe and Avdija to play to their strengths as two athletic players who are at their best when they get downhill and attack the paint.
This season, Murray is averaging 5.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals on 48/32/67 shooting splits. To his credit, this is statistically the best season of his young career as he continues to become more of a two-way player by improving his shooting efficiency. Given his age and defensive versatility, he's certainly still an NBA-level talent.
Part of this criticism has to do with the Blazers having unrealistic expectations for their former first-round pick, especially recently, by forcing him into a starting role. The reality is, he's an end-of-bench player who may still be worth keeping on the roster, considering he doesn't need the ball to impact winning. But he also doesn't seem to want the ball in his hands.
Murray's ceiling is significantly limited as he can't space the floor or create shots for himself or teammates. And considering that's already a significant weakness for Portland's roster, his role should be reduced, if not eliminated entirely from the rotation.