CLEVELAND — The kid seemed to be everywhere, his pogo-stick legs and infinite arms flying and churning with furious precision, and for a few minutes it looked like the start of something transformative.
This was on a different Sunday evening two years ago. But it was in the same building where Dejounte Murray found himself flying and churning this time, although more than the name of the arena had changed.
For one thing, LeBron James was gone, having taken national TV cameras and any semblance of playoff relevance with him. For another, the Spurs entered Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse desperately trying to stay out of 13th place instead of fighting to stay in third. These days, it’s easy to forget how recently they struck the pose of a bona fide contender.
And as they slide toward their first losing season in 23 years — which is closer than ever after a 132-129 loss to the Cavaliers on Sunday — at times it’s also been easy to forget how Murray once bolstered their belief they could extend their playoff streak by yet another decade.
Back in 2018, in what served as a spotlight coming-out party of sorts, he stole the show from James while stealing the ball over and over again from the Cavaliers, who at the time were the NBA’s reigning champions.
And as Murray ignited a game-changing second-half run that afternoon, those watching in other front offices across the league were left muttering to themselves about how they’d let the Spurs steal another star they all could have had.
They aren’t muttering anymore, obviously. Eight months after Murray’s breakthrough 2018 game in Cleveland, he blew out his knee, and he admits that the return from that injury is a process that continues to this day.
“I’m coming back from ACL (surgery), that’s all I can say,” Murray said. “I’m still trying to figure this all out, as far as my body, as far as the mental part, everything.”
The Spurs would love him to get there. That much hasn’t changed. Starting next year, they will pay him an average of $16 million per season through 2024, and they still think that investment might end up looking like a bargain.
But it’s far from a sure thing, and there have been nights this season in which he’s still looked like more of a long-term project than a superstar on the brink. Considering how much time he missed, some inconsistency can be understandable. Even so, the fluctuations between good Murray and bad Murray tend to be extreme, and from a starting point guard, those swings tend to shape the direction of the entire team.
Take the last month for example. The statistical website Basketball Reference uses a formula called “game score” to quantify a player’s overall productivity on a given night. In the Spurs’ eight games leading up to Sunday, Murray earned scores of 15 or higher (considered a solid all-around night) four times. In the Spurs’ other four games, his scores were well below average.
The Spurs went 4-0 in his good games. They were 0-4 in his bad ones.
As much as anyone on the roster, he controls whether or not the Spurs can look efficient or atrocious, and sometimes the see-saw can happen in the course of a single evening. When Murray missed five of his first six shots on Sunday, while losing his bearings on defense more than once, the Cavaliers built a 17-point lead. The Spurs seldom had looked worse.
After halftime, though? Murray unleashed a flurry of drives and spins and steals reminiscent of two years ago, only this time it was even more impressive because he had a jump shot to go with the rest of his repertoire.
He scored four consecutive baskets during one key stretch, pulling the Spurs into a 66-66 tie with a confident 3-pointer. Midway through the fourth quarter, he picked Collin Sexton’s pocket and broke away for a two-handed dunk. In overtime, he came up with another steal that led to a fast-break layup.
Even that wasn’t enough, though, partly because the Spurs’ rash of injuries has their frontcourt overmatched against the worst team in the Eastern Conference, and partly because Murray couldn’t quite extend his heroics to the final few minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
Stars do that. Murray isn’t one yet. But he is not panicking about that.
“This is my fourth year, and how many games have I played?” Murray asked, and the answer is 177 — barely over two seasons’ worth. “So I’m still young in my career.”
He showed promise Sunday, just like he did two years ago. The Spurs are counting on him to build on it, just like they were then.
Now, though, they understand more than ever what can happen if he doesn’t.
mfinger@express-news.net
Twitter: @mikefinger
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