Spurs: The Best and worst stat from everyone on the roster

Jakob Poeltl

Best stat: 13.9 points per game

Jakob Poeltl has been one of the best two Spurs all season long, so he has multiple stats that should be shouted out. He's bumped his rebounds per game up from 7.9 to 9.7, assists from 1.9 to 2.6, and shooting percentage from 51.6 to 64.8.

Since I need to choose one, I decided to go with Poeltl's improved offensive game. He's been fantastic in the pick and roll and seems to have mastered that one-handed push shot he almost always takes. As I pointed out before he was sidelined, he's also no longer avoiding dunking the ball this season, which was one of his biggest weak points in the past.

Worst stat: 38.5% FT shooting

By now, I can't see a future where Jakob Poeltl becomes a consistent free throw shooter. He might have stretches of knocking some down, but it really seems like a mental block that won't go away.

Unfortunately, his inability to hit shots from the charity stripe might make him unplayable in late-game situations when teams are intentionally able to foul him before the two-minute mark. It also hurts the Spurs in situations where they find Poeltl under the basket with a defender nearby, because they'll know they can foul him hard instead of giving up a dunk.

Keldon Johnson

Best stat: 68.8% shooting from 10-16 feet

I spent much of the offseason writing about how Keldon Johnson needed to add a weapon to his arsenal other than barreling into the paint. Fortunately, the early signs indicate he's done some of that.

After shooting 50% from the 10-16 feet range last season, Keldon is draining those in-between shots at a rate of 68.8%. Obviously, that number is not sustainable over the course of a season, but it's definitely a positive sign that he's showing he can be more than a one-trick pony.

Worst stat: 3-of-22 (13.6%) from three

As well has he's been shooting from the paint and within 16 feet, he's been the opposite from beyond the line. Of course, Johnson isn't nearly as bad from 3-point range as his lowly 13.6% mark shows, but his lack of success from the outside is helping defenders contain him.

It's no secret Keldon wants to find his way to the hoop more than anything, and it's easy to collapse the lane and stop him from doing so when you're confident he can't burn you from the outside.

Other than focusing more on taking corner threes and maybe improving his shooting mechanics, the biggest thing he needs to do to open the court back up for himself is simply start knocking down shots.

Derrick White

Best stat: 5.6 assists per game

Derrick White knew he'd be asked to do more than ever this season in terms of playmaking. So far, he's gotten half of that down. Averaging a career-best 5.6 assists per game, he's finding teammates open with drive-and-kicks and by pushing the ball in the open court.

Even though he hasn't quite gotten it going with his own shot, he's always one of the best defenders on the court and impacts the game in other ways. Finding guys for easy buckets should help the Spurs establish trust and cohesion as they look to form their identity.

Worst stat: 16-of-50 from three (32%)

White is way too good of a shooter to be missing more than two-thirds of his 3-pointers. As the leader in 3-point attempts last season, I expect him to do so again this year. Of course, that's not going to help if he's missing most of them.

Derrick's 0-for-10 night against the Thunder was a forgettable performance to say the least, but it's way to early to count White out yet. He needs to start showing some mettle and power through these early struggles pretty soon though.

Dejounte Murray

Best stat: 15 points, 6 assists in clutch time

It's hard to single out one stat that's best for Dejounte Murray since he's having a career year across the board, so I opted to go with what may end up being the most important one going forward.

Through the first couple of weeks of the season, the Spurs have been involved in numerous games that went down to the wire. While they've lost just about every one of them, it's become clear their go-to guy down the stretch is Dejounte.

Beyond making 6-of-16 shots and dishing out six assists in clutch time, he's also grabbed five boards and hasn't turned the ball over once. The Spurs will eventually start executing better with the game on the line, and Murray will be the leader of that movement when it starts to happen.

Worst stat: 3-of-6 free throws in clutch time

The theme of the Spurs' early season has been inconsistency, so I found it fitting to point out both the good and bad aspects of Murray as the team's closer. Using six free throws as a sample size doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but the bigger point I want to make is there will be growing pains all season.

Murray's missed free throws late likely cost San Antonio an early win against the Los Angeles Lakers, and that situation is going to happen more down the road. As the guy with the ball in his hands when it matters most, he'll have to be ok with blowing games just as he'll be happy when he wins them for team.