The Dejounte Murray Hype Thread

[Nolan]

I know it's only been 3 games but I convinced. Kid is special, he's not a raw talent anymore he's a legit prospect with a crap ton of potential and I am excited.

He's averaging 13.3 points (56.7 FG%), 9.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists so far which are solid numbers and huge step forward for him but the numbers don't tell the whole story and they really don't fully express the strides he's made as a player. Over the summer he made some huge steps forward in every area, and I'm going to do a little breakdown of each area for you guys. I would include some video clips but I'm not feeling that ambitious this morning.

Offensively - The careless and silly turnovers are gone and they've been replaced by some serious poise and smarts and honestly for me this evolution into a legit floor general has been the most impressive improvement so far. He knows where he and everyone else needs to be and he's been great at recognizing flaws in the opposing defense and getting the ball to where it needs to be.

The way he attacks defenses hasn't really changed that much, when he gets the ball he either makes something happen or moves things along. But with his added muscle and knowledge he's become far more effective when he decides to attack. He's been great at drawing contact in the paint and even though his jumper still isn't a real threat he's been using his size and strength effectively to dice up P&R coverages much like Ben Simmons has been doing for the Sixers.

Defensively - The instincts where there last year but he was just frail to hold his own at times but with the added muscle he's become an animal on the defensive end. He's been suffocating opposing PG's with his length, quick feet and added bulk. He's also been using his quick hands and great feel for the game to pick off a few passes. But he still reaches and gambles too often and he's gotten burnt pretty good a couple times already this year. He'll improve though with time. If he continues to build on this end a trio of him, Green and Kawhi is going to some damage defensively.

The boards - He was pretty awesome on the glass last year but the added bulk and understanding of the game have made him that much better this year. He's been excellent at the grab and seems to get a ton of uncontested rebounds.

Team will adjust to this though and probably sooner rather than later but that's not necessarily a bad thing. More players crashing the glass means weaker transition defense.

What he needs to improve on - His jumper is his biggest flaw right now. He's figured out how handle guys ducking screens but for him to become a real threat offensively he has to make guys respect him as a shooter. Not only is that going to make him a more effective P&R threat it's also going open space up for Kawhi and LMA.