Winners of three straight to climb to fifth in the west at 14-10, the San Antonio Spurs coming off their first missed playoff appearance in more than two decades have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2020-21 season thanks to several unexpected contributors.
DeMar DeRozan’s revitalization as a playmaker from the power forward position has reinserted himself into the All-Star discussion for the first time since the last of his four appearances in 2018. After he was taken with the 29th pick in the 2019 Draft, Keldon Johnson is now a starter averaging more than 14 points and seven rebounds a night.
Dejounte Murray doesn’t have the star power of the former nor has he risen from similar depths as the latter. But the former Washington guard continues to rack up impressive performances that, when pieces together, comprise one of the NBA’s most under-the-radar breakout seasons.
Dejounte Murray might not be an All-Star but the San Antonio Spurs continue to benefit from the rapid development that puts him on the right track.
In San Antonio’s latest 105-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors, Murray tallied 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting along with 10 rebounds, a career-high eight steals and four assists. He is the first Spur to produce a 20/10/8 line — with steals — since Tim Duncan way back in the year 2000.
“He has the ability to do that on an even more consistent basis,” Gregg Popovich said of his point guard after the game. “He wants to be pushed and we are pushing him. So his aggressiveness tonight was great.”
Murray’s season-long numbers aren’t quite as gaudy, but they do put him in some rarified air. He is one of only 10 players currently averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game. The list includes names like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
Even though DeRozan has emerged as a point forward leading San Antonio with more than six assists per game, the Spurs have grown comfortable letting Murray run the show. In his fourth season — he missed the entirety of the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL — Murray’s increased ability to read and react to defenses has him drawing attention before finding an open teammate in the corner, just as he did on a pass to Johnson against Golden State.
His touches have obviously gone up with an increase in minutes but so has his average time of possession compared to last season. More time with the basketball typically leads to more mistakes from a 24-year-old, but Murray has surprisingly been far more conservative with his giveaways than he ever was in previous seasons.
Last year, Murray had a turnover rate of 15.4 percent. With more minutes, touches, responsibility and all, that number is down to just 10.7 percent this year, continuing a downward trend that’s taken place in each of his four pro seasons.
Murray’s offensive progress has been noteworthy. He already has two triple-doubles after registering none before this season. But the calling card for the former All-Defensive Second Team member will always be at that end of the floor, and that remains true even while he’s shouldering additional duties elsewhere.
A 6’4” standing with a nearly 6’10” wingspan makes Murray one of the best ballhawks in the NBA. There’s an inherent risk to dribbling near quick hands that can swipe down and get the ball before the offense even realizes a change in possession. By then, Murray is already fast-breaking down the other end of the court.
The Spurs committed to Murray at a time when doing so wasn’t as obvious a decision as it is in 2021. In October of 2019, they inked him to a four-year, $64 million extension without seeing how his reconstructed ACL held up in the rigors of a regular-season NBA game.
Perhaps the organization feared having to potentially overpay in restricted free agency the following summer and felt comfortable locking Murray in at less than $18 million a year. Regardless, the extension was widely questioned not only on account of Murray’s injury but due to concerns over whether his offensive output could reach the level his defense was already at.
Monday’s win over the Warriors was only Murray’s seventh 20-point outing in 24 games. An efficient 36.9 3-point percentage from a season ago is down to 32.1 percent, and yet that didn’t stop him from taking and making two big fourth-quarter triples against the Warriors, including one to give San Antonio a four-point cushion with under 15 seconds remaining.
“I love (Spurs assistant coach) Chip Engelland to death,” Murray said. “We do stuff like that. A lot of people might say, ‘Ah, it was luck, whatever.’ But we (practice) game-winners.”
There isn’t a clear picture of what the future holds for the Spurs. Four of their veteran rotation members can go elsewhere in free agency this summer. Each could be traded at a moment’s notice before the March 25 trade deadline.
No matter the eventual outlook, much of it will center around Murray. San Antonio hoped it would be that way and he has done everything to establish himself as one of the pillars that will guide the Spurs through the uncharted waters that lie ahead.
“DJ, I think the thing I’m most impressed with is his leadership qualities,” Jakob Poeltl said. “He’s really stepped it up.”