† INJURED L AST YE AR ( 2017 – 18 STATS)
Starters
Getting DEJOUNTE MURRAY
back is like adding a
big free agent. The
emergence of DERRICK
WHITE is going to help
them bring along
Dejounte [from his
right ACL tear] at a
more balanced pace.
To me that’s their
upside; as long as their
guys are healthy, their
system is just going to
breed wins.... You can
definitely play Murray
and White together,
especially because
White can shoot it, then
slide DEMAR DEROZAN to
the three. We’ll see how
confident Dejounte is in
his shot after working
on it while he was hurt.
That’s the next phase
for him.... BRYN FORBES
was a great value last
year. He has a lot of
the same qualities
PATTY MILLS offers.
They find guys....
TREY LYLES is basically
a poor man’s stretch
four with the size to
play some center.
He’s had pockets of
seasons where he’s
been productive. He’s
a wild card.... They’re
so good at getting
their best players in
positions to succeed.
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE can
shoot it so easily; they
get him to his spots
and can be really
efficient. Even RUDY
GAY. I mean, he’d never
shot 50% before....
You need one guy who
can take and make
tougher shots late in
the clock, and that’s
DeRozan. He doesn’t
shoot the three but is
still efficient because
he gets to the line....
With all their guys,
you see the second-
year jump in summer
league, and it usually
translates to a 15–20
minute role. White
and Kyle Anderson are
good examples. So I’m
interested to see how
LONNIE WALKER develops.
TELLING NUMBER
The Spurs’ competitive longevity
has begun to border on comical:
Their three most recent first-round
picks weren’t even born the last time
the team missed the postseason.
That adds up to 22 CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF
APPEARANCES, with multiple artful reinventions
along the way. LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar
DeRozan return as mainstays, but the development
of young guards Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV
and Dejounte Murray makes this group intriguing.
With the instincts to play and defend either guard
spot, the 6' 4" White was arguably San Antonio’s
best player for much of the first-round, seven-game
loss to the Nuggets. Brought along slowly as a
rookie, Walker provides a downhill style of play
that the team has lacked at the two. And Murray
has innate creativity and big-time defensive
potential at point guard. It’s hardly a transition
year, but watching the Spurs evolve in real time
promises once again to be a treat. —Jeremy Woo
22
Projected Lineup
Bench
SF
DEMAR
DEROZAN
21.2 PPG; 6.2 APG;
6.0 RPG; 48.1 FG%
ENEMY LINES
A rival scout weighs in
PF
LAMARCUS
ALDRIDGE
21.3 PPG; 9.2 RPG;
1.3 BPG; 51.9 FG%
SG
PATTY
MILLS
9.9 PPG; 3.0 APG;
42.5 FG%; 39.4 3FG%
PF
RUDY
GAY
13.7 PPG; 6.8 RPG;
50.4 FG%; 40.2 3FG%
SG
DERRICK
WHITE
9.9 PPG; 3.9 APG;
3.7 RPG; 47.9 FG%
DEJOUNTE
MURRAY†
8.1 PPG; 5.7 RPG;
2.9 APG; 44.3 FG%
PG
JAKOB
POELTL
5.5 PPG; 5.3 RPG;
0.9 BPG; 64.5 FG%
C
96
GREG NELSON
SAN ANTONIO
2018 – 19 RECORD 48– 34 2nd in Southwest
Spurs COACH GREGG POPOVICH 24th season with Spurs
∂47 wins ∂Lose in 1st round ∂Pop will get tossed intentionally to let Tim Duncan coach.
THE
WEST
Crystal Ball: