Popovich sees some Duncan in way Murray leads

Gregg Popovich likens All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to Tim Duncan in the way he patiently prods his teammates to improve.Spurs All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray had a word with Devin Vassell in a game last week after a possession ended in a shot-clock violation thanks in part to the second-year player’s indecisiveness.It wasn’t the first time Murray has pointed out things to Vassell while wearing a velvet glove.

In that sense, Murray reminds Popovich of Tim Duncan, the Spurs legend and one of the greatest leaders in NBA history during a 19-season career that included six trips to the NBA Finals and five championships. “He has a good way of connecting to us young guys and delivering the message in the right way to motivate us,” said forward Keldon Johnson, 22. “He is an amazing leader. I wasn’t blessed enough to play with Tim Duncan, an all-time great, but Dejounte is very patient.”

“He was a tough nut,” Popovich said of Billups, also a member of the 2004-05 Pistons team that lost in seven games to the Spurs in the 2005 Finals. Murray’s commanding presence has played a big part in the Spurs’ late-season push for a berth in the Western Conference play-in tournament. He set the tone for the charge with his comments following his 31-point, 12-rebound performance that led the Spurs to a road win over New Orleans on Feb. 12.

“The young guys are definitely taking it seriously,” Spurs forward/center Zach Collins, 24, said of the play-in race. “And that starts with Dejounte and his mindset going into these games. We go as he goes, and his mentality every game has been ‘must-win game.’ ”

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