Subscribe
Follow Us
The San Antonio Spurs have gone 5-9 to open the 2019-20 season, and head coach Gregg Popovich is choosing to shake up the team's starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's contest versus the Washington Wizards
With guard Derrick White already ruled out earlier in the day, Popovich will slot Patty Mills in as the starting point guard and swap in Jakob Poeltl as the team's starting center — taking the place of Trey Lyles.
Looking to spark the struggling starting lineup, Pop said he's starting Patty at the point and Jakob in the front court instead of Lyles. #Spurs
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 20, 2019
Joining the second unit for the first time all season will be point guard Dejounte Murray, whom the Spurs have kept a close eye on in his return from a torn ACL. Despite having started all 12 of the team's contests, Murray has averaged just 22.8 minutes per game, not all that far off from Mills who has logged 21.1 minutes per night.
Mills, who is playing during his age-31 season, is having an offensive revival in the midst of a season in which he is on pace to average a new career-high 11.8 points per game. The 8.9 shot attempts that he has taken on a nightly basis would also set a new career mark, as the 11-year veteran is shooting over 40 percent from long range for the first time since 2016-17.
Poeltl started 24 games last season for San Antonio before shifting to a bench role to kick off this year. The fourth-year big man has seen just 15.3 minutes per contest, but his move into the starting five will force LaMarcus Aldridge to spend more time at the power forward spot.
How long Popovich decides to operate with his new starting group remains to be seen.
