Dejounte Murray: What the Spurs Need From Him

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3) Organized Play:

• The Spurs run a complicated system at times and it does require a learning curve for point guards to run the offense. The Spurs rely a lot on pick and rolls and they also emphasize the “great versus good shot” formula. Coach Popovich expects his team to make the extra pass to get those high percentage looks. The task for Murray, a natural scorer, is to find the balance between the two. He has to run the team smoothly first and then look for his own offense later.

 
2) Drive Drive Drive:

• The Spurs were near the bottom of the league in the “driving to the basket” category and this stat ties in specifically to the aging Tony Parker. His drives to the hoops were a staple for most of the Spurs championship teams and it was missing last season. Murray would not be expected to be Parker but if he does decide to drive the lane more often it will help the team tremendously. The Spurs rely on open three pointers and if Murray can make a habit of getting in the lane he could easily find shooters for easy outside shots. So far the young guard has been in the weight room this off season, hopefully preparing his body for driving strong to the basket.

 
1) Mid-Range:

• Kawhi Leonard has took his game to the next level because of his ability to hit the mid range jumper, like Tony Parker before him, it opens up lanes to the basket and creates healthy offense. Murray has to add this skill to his repertoire as soon as he can. He is already a speedy guard and a mid range game will force opponents to guard him out on the perimeter, giving him an extra step if he decides to drive. Young players in today's game usually focus on shooting from three, the Spurs will likely want their guard to focus on creating offense closer to the basket.