Air Alamo
FanSided

What’s going on between the San Antonio Spurs and Dejounte Murray?

ByDylan Carter|
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 13: Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after getting called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of the game at Target Center on November 13, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the spurs 129-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 13: Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after getting called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of the game at Target Center on November 13, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the spurs 129-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

It’s been strange times for the San Antonio Spurs and it’s becoming evident that point guard Dejounte Murray is getting frustrated.

Not everything is as peachy as San Antonio Spurs fans hoped it’d be upon the return of point guard Dejounte Murray. Though he’s shown great signs of growth, the 23-year-old is shooting poorly on the season and still displays a lot of the clumsiness that he did prior to his injury. This resulted in a roster change by Gregg Popovich, citing combo guard Derrick White’s presence as calming for the starting lineup.

Murray was visibly upset during the Spurs’ most recent loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The young guard played only 21 minutes and struggled mightily, turning the ball over four times while making just two of his six shots with no defensive stats. Maybe White is calming for the starting five, but Murray is in disarray coming off the bench.

Sacrificing for the greater good of the team is the Spurs way and Murray will certainly have the opportunity to work his way back into the starting five, but it’s going to take a concentrated effort. Regardless of what’s going on right now, there’s little doubt that Dejounte is the Spurs’ starting point guard of the future and will be the face of the franchise for years to come.

https://twitter.com/newbalancehoops/status/1197527902763569152

More from Air Alamo

Signing a four-year extension in the offseason and a sneaker deal with New Balance in the process, Murray is on his way to stardom, but he cannot rush the process. Getting benched is not a testament to his ability or the team’s trust in him, but instead, a tweak made to help a reeling team discover it’s identity.

Still, the minutes restriction and complete reconstruction of the team’s makeup has been disruptive for Murray’s growth and isn’t making the return process any easier for a player who fought against the odds to return to peak form.

As an unmitigated leader and signal of hope for a reeling franchise still suffering from the loss of arguably the league’s best player in Kawhi Leonard, Murray is having a hard time adjusting to the new norm. He’s become accustomed to winning basketball and wants to do everything in his power to bring another championship to San Antonio after they took a chance on him in 2016.

In due time, Murray will regain his starting spot and help the Spurs get back to their winning ways. However, he can’t rush the process – these things take time and so will his gradual yet inevitable growth.

Schedule