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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich praised his young guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White on Friday before the team's home tilt with the Phoenix Suns. Despite sporting a losing record at the moment, the longtime Spurs head coach and five-time NBA champion sees a bright future for the young backcourt.
“They complement each other pretty good,” Popovich told reporters on Friday, via KSAT 12's RJ Marquez. “Two guys that are willing to pass. Make pretty good decisions. They play good defense, so we have a pretty good tandem there.”
Popovich on pairing of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White late in recent games: 'They compliment each other pretty good. Two guys that are willing to pass. Make pretty good decisions. They play good defense, so we have a pretty good tandem there.' #Spurs #KSATsports #KSATnews
— RJ Marquez (@KSATRJ) January 24, 2020
Murray, 23, is bouncing back after suffering an ACL tear in preseason almost two years ago, forcing the young point guard to miss the entire 2018-19 season after a rising sophomore campaign the season prior. In 39 games for the Spurs this year, Murray is averaging 10.2 points and 4.0 assists per game, shooting 49.0% from the field, 35.8% from 3-point range, and 78.5% from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, his teammate in 25-year-old Derrick White is coming off a summer participating in the United States men's national team's 2019 FIBA World Cup big in China under the same coach as San Antonio. The Spurs' Popovich took the reins of the senior team but Team USA could only manage a seventh-place finish halfway across the globe in the second biggest stage for international basketball. White, a shooting guard in just his third season, was a controversial pick to play for his own coach and the U.S.
Nevertheless, Popovich sees the two under-25-year-old guards with the right DNA to lead the Spurs into the future.
