Gregg Popovich was hopeful that San Antonio Spurs' new starting point guard Dejounte Murray could start the 2018-19 NBA strong. Unfortunately, Murray tore his ACL and will be forced to miss the entire season. Despite the disappointing injury, Popovich has a plan to help improve Murray in a big way.
In an interview with MySanAntonio.com, Popovich talked about how he plans to make Murray as much “like a coach” as he possibly can.
“When he's able to move a little bit more and get around, he's going to become like a coach. We are going to put him in all our coaching meetings and let him sit there while we argue about game plans and what to do. We are going to have him be in every one of those meetings to at least fill his brain up a little bit with what's going on.”
Murray has the physical potential to be a very good NBA point guard. He has a height advantage over most point guards at 6-foot-5 and has a lot of athleticism to work with as well.
Last season with the Spurs, Murray averaged 8.1 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He shot 44.3 percent from the floor overall, but only connected on 26.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
San Antonio will need Murray to take on an even larger role the next time he steps on the court. Gone are the days where Tony Parker could come in to play a key role off the bench. Patty Mills is a capable point guard, but he is not an ideal starter.
At just 22 years old, Murray is the future of the Spurs' back-court. Popovich knows just how important his young guard is going to be for the future of the franchise.
Popovich will be able to follow through with his plan and there will be a noticeable difference next season in the way he is able to run the offense and get the most out of his teammates.
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