Nets Summer League: Get to know Kamari Murphy

The Brooklyn Nets will take the floor in Las Vegas on July 7th. We’re here to breakdown the players who will make-up the Nets Summer League roster. Today, we talk about former Miami Hurricane, Kamari Murphy.

Profile

Age: 23
Height/Weight: 6’8″ / 220 lbs
Position: PF/SF
Hometown: BROOKLYN, New York
College: Oklahoma State (2 years), University of Miami (2 years)
2016-17 College Statistics: 29 minutes/game, 7.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG
Draft: Undrafted

After spending his first two seasons of college basketball playing at Oklahoma State, led by Marcus Smart at the time, Murphy opted to take his talents to South Beach, and join the Miami Hurricanes.

Not known for his scoring, Murphy has developed a reputation as a “junkyard dog” due to his toughness and rebounding ability. At both Oklahoma State and Miami, he was a force to be reckoned with for opponents. He’s non-stop energy, he’s a vocal leader and most importantly, he plays to win. His former teammates recognize Murphy’s role on a basketball team.

"“Kamari brings what this team needed. Somebody else to be very vocal, what I call a ‘dog.’ He not only get himself going, he gets everybody going.”Angel Rodríguez, former Miami guard"

After transferring to Miami, Murphy wanted to showcase his entire repertoire. Not only was he a vicious worker on both ends, but also a very capable defender. His 6’8″, 220-pound frame gives him the ability to defend multiple positions. During his two seasons at Oklahoma State, he posted an impressive 96.8 Defensive Rating, and followed it with a 100.4 Defensive Rating at Miami, which is still very respectable.

Miami head coach Jim Larranaga praised Murphy for his efforts.

"“He is an outstanding defender and rebounder. He can guard one through five. That’s how quick he is.”“Davon Reed and Kamari Murphy, two of the best leaders I’ve ever had, and they’ve done it by example, by how hard they practice every day, the consistency of their effort and execution.”“I believe Kamari Murphy should have been the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. That’s how good I think he is defensively. He didn’t even make the All-Defense team.”Head Coach, Jim Larranaga"

The Nets are surely looking for players who can become leaders. Some players will never have the leadership trait. It’s something that can’t be forced upon someone. Players like Kamari Murphy are ‘born leaders.’ They’re comfortable with challenging others to bring out the best in everyone on the team.

However, it’s yet to be seen how Murphy would fit in the Brooklyn system. He is not a threat from the outside, going 2 of 12 from distance throughout his entire collegiate career. From the free-throw line, he posted a career 57% mark, with his best outing coming as a senior (60.9%). He’ll need to polish his shooting stroke to make it in today’s NBA.

On the flip side, you can never count out a player who plays with passion. Sean Marks and the rest of the front office most likely had a conversation (or two) with Jim Larranaga to discuss Murphy’s potential as an NBA prospect. Considering the way Larranaga has talked about Murphy in the past, I’d be willing to guess he had some extremely positive things to say about his former player.

Brooklyn will be experimenting with multiple ‘types’ of players in the upcoming Summer League. Some players are shooters, some are lobs and blocks, others are defensive specialists, then you have guys like Murphy. Leaders.

Next: Nets Summer League: Get to know Jake Wiley

Kamari Murphy is a player who understands his role, and strives to do it ‘better than you.’ He may never mold into a starter in the NBA, but there is always a place for players who take pride in doing the little things, or the dirty work.

He’ll have an excellent opportunity to showcase his talents come July 7th. The Summer League features many players looking to score, make flashy plays, or bring the house down with a rim-rattling jam. Kamari Murphy will be there to disrupt those players, and make a name for himself through hard work and leadership.

Probability of Kamari Murphy making the opening day roster: 5%

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