Even with the departure of Kawhi Leonard four years ago, the San Antonio Spurs have still been a constant staple as a contender in the deep Western Conference. Their team is not the most talented, but Gregg Popovich has manufactured ways for them to flourish as a well-oiled unit. Many of the key pieces of their franchise have still not reached their utmost potential because they are still at the early juncture of their career.
The Spurs organization is not known as a free agent destination for the big name, thus it is essential for them to fortify their roster through the draft or trade acquisitions. Jakob Poeltl is an underrated asset that was just an add-on in the Leonard deal, but he has exceeded expectations as the starting center of the Spurs. San Antonio has some other intriguing picks in Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell as their two-way prowess is an integral facet in this generation's style of basketball.
Even with this plethora of names mentioned, the most important player that the Spurs must value is their point guard Dejounte Murray. It is not a surprise for Murray to have the best stats or production in the squad, but his awareness and IQ to not possess any kind of weakness in his game is the most impressive aspect of his repertoire. It is already the sixth year of his NBA career, but these past two seasons have solidified his spot as some of the best-two way guards in the association.
Pure effort gets rewarded as Dejounte Murray gets the hoop and the harm 😤pic.twitter.com/66yiennW6h
— Spurs Nation (@SpursNationCP) October 31, 2021
Murray began his career on the wrong foot as he did not garner enough playtime to showcase his skill set, and he also sustained an unfortunate ACL injury a few years ago. Despite the immense challenges, he has found his niche in leading the squad to some sort of success like their impressive victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Murray's ability to raise his points and assists average from the previous season has been surprising for the organization and, as we've seen day in and day out, it's been nothing but promising for the young star.
Along with White and Poeltl, the potential and room for development for this core led by Murray continue to increase with little pressure to achieve a deep playoff run in the next few years. They could focus on their progression in individual aspects of the game while bolstering their chemistry on and off the court, especially if the front office is set in stone with how they are building up their team.
Even with the rapid success of Murray, he could still attempt and convert more three-point shots to open up the floor for slashers like Vassell and Johnson. The two aforementioned individuals still have room for improvement on their shooting prowess as well, but with Murray as the orchestrator, he could possess a dangerous shot from behind the arc when defenses decide to go under on pick and roll situations.
The ceiling of the Spurs this season is another play-in appearance, but Murray's development and upside to reach stardom is a massive ecstatic feeling for the Spurs organization.
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