The changing of the guard feels as seamless as it was silent for the San Antonio Spurs. In fact, if you're not a fan of their organization you might not have noticed the change at all. So for everyone out there who still has no clue what I’m talking about, let me begin my explanation.
David Robinson passed the torch to Tim Duncan, Timmy passed it to Manu Ginobili, Manu passed it to Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard came out of nowhere to pick up the torch when the Big Three began to run out of gas. Parker never got the chance to hand it down to a successor, but 1151 starts later, the French basketball legend is finally passing on the torch to second-year point guard Dejounte Murray.
Like most rookies, Murray played sparingly during his first year in San Antonio, but things have been much different in his second go-round. With the Spurs succumbing to one injury after another, he’s had plenty of opportunities to show what he can do as both a starter and a spark plug off the bench for a playoff contender.
Though it hasn’t always been pretty, the spindly guard out of Washington University has shown flashes of two-way upside that suggest he has the talent to thrive as the head playmaker in the Alamo City for years to come. It may not happen today, tomorrow or even next season, but the Spurs are banking on Murray to lead their franchise alongside superstars Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Sunday was Murray's first game as the team's full-time starter, and as expected from any young player, Murray showed as much inexperience as he did enthusiasm. Fortunately for Murray and the Spurs, he isn’t expected to be their knight in shining armor right off the bat. At least, that’s not how many around the league have interpreted this move from head coach Gregg Popovich.
With his first start as the point guard of the future in the rearview mirror, Murray came out Tuesday showed out in what was his best game as a professional. Not only did he help lead San Antonio to a 114-102 victory over the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, but he received high praise from The King himself after an impassioned effort on the defensive end of the floor.
The night was supposed to be about LeBron James and his landmark achievement of reaching 30000 career points, but it was hard to ignore Murray’s big night in front of a sold-out AT&T Center crowd. The sophomore guard locked down the opposition with a career-high seven steals and showcased his versatility on offense with 10 boards and 19 points that included an emphatic transition jam.
With Leonard sidelined and the rest of the team battling the injury bug, it’s easy to overlook just how good the Spurs have been this season despite employing makeshift lineups on a nightly basis. However, if you’re LeBron James, you might want to take notice. He isn't getting any younger, and though Father Time has yet to catch up to him after 15 seasons in the NBA, even the greatest players hit a wall.
San Antonio may not seem like a likely destination for The King this offseason, but it's one he should consider. Not only are the Spurs a direct threat to his fourth title, but they may just be the answer to how he gets there.
Despite the many free agency rumors linking James to the Lakers and Rockets, the Spurs could very much be a possible destination for the best player in the world. While Los Angeles offers a surplus of young talent and Houston can offer two superstars, the Spurs can counter with two-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, rising star Murray, the deepest bench in the NBA and the greatest head coach in the league.
The two have always had great respect and admiration for each other, but timing and salary have never been right. Both LeBron and Pop are at the tail end of their careers, so what better time than now to join forces?
You can laugh all you want at my outlandish proposition, but let me remind you the last time we thought LeBron was glued to Cleveland, he up and left for Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat. He won two titles in South Beach and it wouldn’t be ridiculous to think he could match or exceed that number by teaming up with the most cerebral franchise in basketball.
Nobody would have given the Spurs a chance to win 30 plus games at this point in the season if you told them they’d be playing without Kawhi Leonard, yet here they are in third place in the Western Conference. If that’s what a shorthanded San Antonio is capable of doing, just imagine the damage they could do if The King came to town.
Of course, nothing’s set in stone and this is just speculation, but don’t discount the possibility. James holds Popovich and the Spurs organization in high esteem. They've never been the flashiest team, but with the addition of LeBron, even that could change. And wouldn't it be oh so nice if he could knock out the Golden State Warriors before they got a chance to go reach the Finals?
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