San Antonio Spurs: Cory Joseph’s Growth

December 19, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph (5) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 19, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph (5) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Cory Joseph
Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) celebrates on the bench in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at AT&T Center. The Spurs beat the Heat 104-87 to win the NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

While Tony Parker and Patrick Mills draw the most publicity from the San Antonio Spurs point guard position, three-year stud out of Texas, Cory Joseph, does the little things.

Often Joseph is inserted into games at the end of quarters or in garbage time. Some players, in contests that are out of hand, are undisciplined and sloppy. Not so with Cory, who scored a total of two points in eight minutes played during the 2014 NBA Finals.

Joseph (who has attempted 70, 166 and 300 field goals his first three seasons, including the playoffs) relishes his time on the court and rarely looks for his own shot.

Despite not sniffing a second in Game 1 and Game 2 of the Finals, the third-string point guard was a big reason why San Antonio made it back to the NBA Finals for the first time ever in consecutive years.

On May 31, the Spurs won 112-107 at the Oklahoma City Thunder, eliminating OKC during six games in the Western Conference Finals. The unsung hero was Cory, who, despite scoring two points during seven minutes, had a much bigger impact.