The San Antonio Spurs are hoping the return of Dejounte Murray helps them get over the hump next year, and it sounds like his rehab is going well this offseason.
The San Antonio Spurs lost their point guard before the 2018-19 season even began when Dejounte Murray tore his ACL in a preseason game against the Houston Rockets.
Fortunately Derrick White was able to step into the starting point guard role and help the Spurs reach the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive season, but the team’s ceiling would’ve been much higher with a healthy Dejounte Murray on the roster.
San Antonio is hopeful that Murray will return to the floor at 100 percent health next season, and that’s looking like a strong possibility according to his former high school coach.
Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News talked to Mike Bethea of Seattle’s Rainer Beach High School who provided some positive insight into Murray’s status:
“He is feeling really good, feeling stronger,” said Murray’s former high school coach. “He (said he) is just really excited and eager to get back and go to work.”
We’ve seen some videos of Murray’s progress throughout the past couple of months, and Bethea’s comments further confirm that Dejounte should be good to go once the regular season rolls around.
More from Air Alamo
- San Antonio Spurs: White’s return to form skyrockets Spurs potential
- San Antonio Spurs: Four trade partners to watch for as deadline nears
- Predicting Spurs’ week 9 results, featuring trap games abound
- San Antonio Spurs: Jakob Poeltl reasserting himself as a defensive force
- San Antonio Spurs: Trading for John Collins still a longshot for Spurs
Gregg Popovich also chimed in on Murray’s approach towards his rehab process:
“He does his workouts. He does everything we want him to do,” says Pop. “He’s always happy go lucky with everybody and every member of the staff. He is excited about next season and he has been like that since the beginning of his rehab.”
Last summer was full of hype for Dejounte as rumors percolated about him adding a three-point shot and becoming a much more proficient playmaker with the help of the Spurs’ coaching staff.
If Murray can hone those offensive skills to go along with his All-Defensive Team skills on the other end of the floor, he could become an extremely dangerous player.
In addition to what Dejounte can do on the court, he also brings about a positive energy in the locker room that has always been essential to the Spurs’ legendary culture.
Want your voice heard? Join the Air Alamo team!
We’ll continue to get updates on Murray’s progress as we move through the offseason, and hopefully they all remain as positive as this one.