He Has Strong Rebounding Potential

Playing behind Spurs-near-lifer Tony Parker for his first two seasons, Murray has developed behind the strong leadership of one of the NBA’s most underrated point guards but he has also developed a great knowledge of the team’s system.

San Antonio’s offense has always been built around shared responsibility for the basketball. In 17 seasons with the Spurs, Parker never averaged 8 assists at his peak and managed fewer than 7 for his entire tenure, which will suit Murray’s game.

One area where Murray sits head and shoulders above Parker, or any other guard in San Antonio’s history, is rebounding. Due to Parker’s age, there were extended periods last season where Popovich would sit his All-Star guard, and Murray would step into the line-up, starting 48 games out of 81 total games played in 2017-2018, compared to 38 as a rookie. But he also played 13 more minutes and as a consequence, his rebounding stats jumped from 1 per game to nearly 6.

He wasn’t playing starters minutes, but per-36 Murray’s rebounding numbers settle at 9.5 per game. More than 2 of those per game were offensive, where the guard can use his athleticism to go straight back up with the ball or tip it in for an easy four points per game next season.

But the majority of his boards come on the defensive end, which means the whole Spurs team is able to get off and running, and this is where several of Murray’s points and rebounds come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyxaOfLIdZA

After beating the Toronto Raptors early last season, Gregg Popovich had some thoughts on Murray’s ability to rebound and push the ball. He said: “Maybe he’s been watching Westbrook or something.”