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San Antonio Spurs: Dejounte Murray playing to stay in starting lineup

By Matthew Hallett

SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 18: Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 18, 2017 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 18: Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 18, 2017 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With the season only two games old, Dejounte Murray is showing tremendous offseason growth for the San Antonio Spurs.

Dejounte Murray, the second-year player for the San Antonio Spurs, appears to have put in a massive amount of work in the offseason. The 29th pick in the 2016 draft only appeared in 40 games last season. He averaged 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in just 8.5 minutes per game.

With the injury to Tony Parker during last years Playoffs, Murray was always going to see more action this season. Little did we know the quality of his play would demand he start this season.

It is unknown how long Parker will be out this season. There is a chance he may return in November per Jeff Garcia of News 4 San Antonio. Other reports say he may return in December per Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express. When he returns, there is no guarantee he will start.

In the first game of the season, the Spurs played the retooled and highly fancied Minnesota Timberwolves. Murray started on former All-Star Jeff Teague and more than held his own. The Timberwolves also contained Murray’s mentor Jamal Crawford.

Murray played 25 minutes, collecting 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He went an incredible 7-of-8 from the field and connected on both his free-throws. His play was crucial for the win against the Timberwolves.

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In the second game of the season, the Spurs took on the lowly rated Chicago Bulls. While it was the LaMarcus Aldridge show, he was well supported by Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol. However, the game of Murray could have easily been overlooked.

In 26 minutes, Murray had 8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. His shooting was not as good, only going 4-of-10 from the field, however, no one from the Spurs shot particularly well.

In these two games, Murray has played extremely well. The Spurs have been without team leader Kawhi Leonard as well as Parker.

How the return of Kawhi Leonard will help Murray

At the moment, the San Antonio Spurs are a team whose offense is run through Aldridge. This means teams can double the big man. This results in space being created on the perimeter for shooters. Unfortunately, Murray is not a prolific 3-point shooter. He averaged 0.6 attempts from deep last season. This year he has taken one shot from deep.

When Leonard returns, his play tends to start from the perimeter which will leave more space inside. This is where Parker, also not a prolific 3-point shooter, has excelled. Parker has used his quickness to get in the paint and make shots.

Murray, at 6-foot-5 has no problems taking the ball to the rim. He is hard to stop, particularly in transition. Leonard’s defense will help this, gifting Murray some cheap transition points.

Why Dejounte Murray over Tony Parker

By going with Dejounte Murray as the starting point guard, the Spurs are planning for the future. Murray is taller, longer and more athletic than the French master. He is also a lot younger. With the level of athleticism at point guard around the league, it is possible Parker will be a step slower when he returns.

Murray is better suited to match up against players like Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and James Harden. Parker would be better suited coming off the bench, providing a spark.

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Coming back from a leg injury is tough in the NBA. It is even tougher when you are in your mid 30’s. There is certainly no guarantee Parker will come back the player he was. He will almost certainly come back on minutes restrictions. However, an old adage comes to mind in regards to keeping Murray in the starting lineup. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Murray is doing a great job.

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