The draft is definitely a presence that NBA teams love and hate, and teams can choose a cornerstone at a very low cost (signing), such as jokic with the 43rd pick, but it is also likely to draw a parallel cargo at a high price, such as the most watery Bennett. The master in the draft should be the Spurs, and the reason why this small-ball market can maintain competitiveness for a long time depends on its unique draft vision.
Although the Spurs are still in the rebuilding period, there is no doubt that they already have the core players of the future, that is, the lottery drawn in the 16-year draft - Dejuntai Murray. Murray, who averaged 20.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.4 assists, was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, and although he replaced Green, who was absent due to injury, this was the peak of his life for the No. 29 pick, and he became the only player in the same draft to enter the All-Star in the 2021-22 season. You must know that their success rate this year is not low, there are All-Star regulars such as Ben Simmons and Brown, and there are team stars such as Ingram, Jabbar Murray, Sabonis and Siakam.
In that draft in 2016, the most dazzling should be Simmons, Ingram and Jaylen Brown, and these three players are also well-deservedly favored by the teams with the top three picks. It is worth mentioning that two Chinese players, Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin, were also selected at the end of the second round and once became the object of hot discussion in the media. And Murray? He was a big hit before the draft, and even entered the little green house (a potential lotto show), but because of poor shooting, and thin body, he was not noticed by the Spurs until the 29th pick, and no one would pay attention to a player who was in San Donho at the end of the first round.
Like most players at the end of the first round, Murray didn't get more playing time early in his career, averaging just 8.5 minutes per game in his first year, averaging 3.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. But the following year, because leonard was injured, Murray's playing time increased to 21.5 minutes, and all the statistics doubled several times, by which time he was much better than most of the players in the 16th class. However, the next year bad luck came to him, Murray suffered an ACL (cruciate ligament) tear injury in the preseason, no one is optimistic that Murray can get out of this injury, Rose, Wade and other top players can not escape the fate of decline.
However, the Spurs gave him enough opportunities, and the playing time after returning from injury did not decrease but increased, although there was no flying athletic ability, but Murray inherited Parker's organizational ability. Assists have risen every year since then, and now stabilize to an average of more than 9 per game, ranking third in the league, behind passing masters such as Paul and Harden. Averaging 8.4 rebounds per game, he ranks second among all defenders in the league, with two steals (first in the league), and Murray has also scored 12 triple-doubles this season, breaking Spurs' all-time record and being the only player to break 10 triple-doubles this season.
From signing no. 29 of the 16th edition to becoming the first man of the 16th edition this season, no one knows how much effort Murray has put in for six years, and now is the time to enjoy the results. Murray has become the first Spurs player to be named an All-Star since Ader in 2019, can he become a great player like David Robinson, the GDP combination, who carries the Spurs on his shoulders? This is definitely worth the fans' expectations!