In earlier seasons, we’ve seen the Spurs’ younger core play extra of a secondary position. Typically in favor of extra tried and true veterans whose manufacturing was a positive factor yr out and in. However with the departures of DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Homosexual, the San Antonio Spurs had begun to shift philosophies. They’d abruptly shifted from the blueprint of earlier seasons to one thing much less identified. This shift was lastly handing the keys over to the unproven younger gamers. This abruptly had positioned an infinite quantity of stress on your complete group to step up, and none extra so than on Dejounte Murray.
The query for Murray going into this season was would he have the ability to step up and really be THE GUY for the Spurs? Dejounte has proven flashes of his potential every so often prior to now, however had lacked the chance to actually string any video games collectively because the go to choice for the staff. Nevertheless, with the departures of most of the veterans that accounted for a lot of the offensive manufacturing and management for the group, a chance had lastly introduced itself. In response to this monumental stress and alternative, Murray turned in an all-star caliber season and solidified himself as a franchise cornerstone going ahead.
Due to all this, I believed it will be enjoyable to do an in-depth breakdown of Dejounte’s season this yr. The place did he enhance this yr in comparison with final yr, and what’s the subsequent step for him going into subsequent season?
2020-2021: 15.7 factors, 5.4 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals
2021-2022: 21.1 factors, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds, 2 steals
These are primarily the usual statistics most individuals take a look at when assessing a participant’s efficiency. What instantly jumps out at you is simply how a lot Murray stepped up his manufacturing from final season. Not solely did his factors and assists per sport take an enormous bounce, however he additionally led the staff in all these classes aside from rebounding (the place he was solely simply beat out by Jakob Poeltl). All these statistics are already spectacular on their very own, however if you take a look at extra superior statistics, Dejounte’s bounce in quantity and manufacturing will get much more spectacular. And though he made huge steps ahead in all of those statistical classes, nothing was maybe extra spectacular than his bounce in creating for his teammates.
Help Manufacturing
Typically when gamers begin to improve their quantity, their effectivity begins to endure. While you’re a task participant, much less is required of you than is required of a staff’s star. You’re primarily solely requested to take photographs you’re given and make passes if they’re there to make. However if you’re the groups’ go-to man, you’re requested to take action far more. Not solely do you need to begin creating your individual photographs, however you additionally should begin creating for others. So, naturally, when a participant is requested to make a bounce like that, it’s very cheap to imagine their effectivity will endure as they begin to pressure the problem greater than they’ve prior to now.
For Dejounte, that was not the case in any respect. Dejounte already had a comparatively low turnover share final yr at solely 9.4%, however when you think about that his help share was solely 24.7% (placing him within the backside third at his place), the low turnover share may have merely been defined by him simply not being requested to create a lot for others. This season nevertheless, Murray’s help share jumped all the best way to 38.8% (which is within the 90th percentile amongst level guards per CleaningTheGlass.com). Much more spectacular nevertheless, is that his turnover share solely went to 10.2% (82nd percentile amongst level guards).
For context on how spectacular that’s, there have been solely 4 level guards (Luka Doncic is technically a degree) with an help share larger than Dejounte, all of them additionally had a turnover share larger than him. Murray went from a comparatively low help participant to among the finest help guys within the league this season all whereas caring for the ball higher than anybody else close to his manufacturing.
Shot Manufacturing
Now that we’ve touched on Dejounte’s bounce in creating for others, I feel it will be good to take a look at his improve in level manufacturing. Whether or not his capturing share took a toll attributable to this improve in quantity, how he took a large leap in creating for himself as properly, and the place the majority of those photographs got here from.
Above is a shot chart from final season (prime) and this season (backside). There are primarily two keys to deciphering these charts, the dimensions of the hexagons and the colour. The bigger the hexagon, the extra photographs that participant has taken from that space of the ground. The colour of the hexagon is a illustration of that participant’s capturing share vs the league common. So, the darker the hexagon, the higher that participant shot vs the league common.
Instantly, one factor that jumps out when taking a look at these charts is his elevated quantity from three. Along with his elevated accountability on offense, it is sensible that Murray was requested to take and make extra threes than earlier than. And though Dejounte has by no means been often called a sharpshooter, this improve in quantity has allowed him to search out his candy spots from deep. He shot extraordinarily properly from each wing spots on the ground, the place he shot 35.3% on the appropriate and a whopping 40.8% on the left. From a macro perspective, together with his three-point share solely being 32.5%, it paints an image that Dejounte is simply not an excellent three-point shooter on the whole. It is because there are nonetheless spots from deep he struggles from, and people low percentages cancel out his sturdy spots. Dejounte particularly struggled from the highest of the important thing (20.5%) and the left nook (27.8%). If he may enhance in these two areas particularly, he may turn into an especially dependable three-point shooter that’s particularly lethal from the wings.
One other factor that jumps out is simply how lethal he’s from mid-range, particularly the free-throw circle the place he shot extraordinarily properly. Dejounte has shot round 44% from the mid-range space over the previous 3 seasons, so though his accuracy has not essentially modified, his quantity has been climbing. Murray shot 1003 makes an attempt from mid-range throughout the 20-21 season and 1320 makes an attempt throughout the 21-22 season. To shoot roughly 300 extra makes an attempt in a season and never endure any drop off in accuracy simply as a byproduct of being requested to shoot extra is a big enchancment.
One final thing to be aware of is his bounce in means to create his personal photographs. Within the desk above, you’ll be able to see the ASTD% class. That is the proportion of his photographs made that have been assisted on. Within the earlier season, you’ll be able to see that the proportion of his makes within the mid-range (arguably his strongest space of the ground, as a result of Spurs) have been assisted on 23% of the time, which is beneath the league common for his place group. That share dropped to simply 12% this season. That means that 88% of the time, Dejounte was merely creating his personal makes from mid-range. While you take that under consideration alongside the truth that Murray didn’t endure any drop-off in accuracy, it turns into much more obvious how huge of a step Dejounte took this season.
So, what’s subsequent for Dejounte going into this upcoming season? It appears like the obvious reply is upping his three-point share. This appears like an enormous ask, however Dejounte has proven the power to constantly add to his sport yearly, and the Spurs are among the finest within the league relating to participant improvement, so this feels comparatively achievable.
Additionally, one other factor grew to become obvious this season as Dejounte took his leap into stardom, he wants a co-star if the Spurs are going to take that subsequent step. So the place does this hypothetical star come from? Do the Spurs take a swing at somebody in free company? With the Spurs having three 1st spherical picks on this yr’s draft, do they make some noise there? Or is the reply in their very own yard and it’s another person’s flip to take a Dejounte-like leap in improvement? With the draft arising and free company following quickly after, it appears like we could get that reply comparatively quickly.
