Dejounte Murray’s 2-way prowess shines for San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are 7 games into the 2019-20 season with a stellar record of 4-3 with two losses coming against the best of the west in L.A. Dejounte Murray’s return to the team has brought them to new heights.
There isn’t a better sight for a San Antonio Spurs fan than the quick and beautiful Dejounte Murray who made his return to the silver and black this season. His addition to the team has been everything a Spurs viewer could have dreamed of. And we saw that Sunday night against the Lakers when he scored 16 straight points.
Even on a minutes restriction, Murray has been one of the best players on the floor in each of his games to start the season until an off night against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday
Murray’s return was the major talking point of the Spurs’ season. If he would build upon his success from his first two seasons in the league, then the Spurs would have a chance to make a leap forward from their seventh-place finish in 2018-19. And so far, he’s done exactly that and more, leading the Spurs to a 4-3 record.
In the opening game against the New York Knicks, Murray came out and did his thing. Starting the night off on the right foot, he ripped the ball from Knicks rookie RJ Barrett and took it down the court for a nice dish to Spurs’ newcomer Trey Lyles, who flushed home an easy dunk.
Murray ran the fast break to perfection, his eight rebounds allowing him to facilitate the transition game. Multiple times during that season opener he turned defense into offense. Despite playing only 24 minutes, Murray bulldozed his way to 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.
This is a guy who, in his second year, made second-team All-Defensive. His rookie year saw him getting reps in the G League. The third year in the league for him was cut off before he ever had the chance to shine due to a knee injury. That’s what makes this fourth year so compelling for Murray.
Murray is still only 23 years old with this much NBA experience behind him. His climb to this point in his career has been an unconventional one, to say the least. Missing out on last season made his ascend this year a non-existent talking point for general NBA fans, but Spurs fans just knew.
Anyone who saw Murray play in 2017-18 saw his flashes. He was rattled a few times, like any young player, but his unique two-way ability proved that he would be a key part of the future for the Spurs. And his four-year, $64 million extension he signed before the season proves that the Spurs organization agrees.