Spurs' Dejounte Murray Speaks Out on All-Defensive Team Snub

Dejounte Murray is not happy after being left off both of the NBA All-Defensive Teams.

Grant Afseth | May 21, 2022

Spurs' Dejounte Murray Speaks Out on All-Defensive Team Snub /

The NBA announced the official members of the All-Defensive Teams on Friday and San Antonio Spurs star Dejounte Murray was not among the guards to make the cut.

The guards who made the All-Defensive First-Team were Marcus Smart and Mikal Bridges. Jrue Holiday and Matisse Thybulle were voted as the backcourt for the All-Defensive Second-Team. The voting results weren't particular close either.

Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs — Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Murray made a strong case for one of the All-Defensive Teams considering he led the NBA with an average of 4.0 deflections and 2.0 steals while also trailing only Luka Doncic among guards in defensive rebounds per game.

What doesn't show in the box score is Murray's embrace of taking on tough on-ball defensive assignments. He is routinely handling some of the NBA's top talents while also shouldering a heavy load of responsibility on the other end.

In terms of voting results, Murray had received a total of two votes for the first-team and 20 votes for the second-team. He wasn't even the closest honorable mention with Fred VanVleet commanding 41 total points in his candidacy as the highest-voted player overall.

"We all know them lame ass awards are really 'playoff awards' instead of regular-season awards," Murray wrote on his Instagram account. "They can't play on my name for too much longer."

Jakob Poeltl, San Antonio Spurs — Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

dejounte murray — Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY

Since becoming the youngest player in NBA history ever named to an All-Defensive Team in 2018, Murray has not earned another nod. The Spurs likely will need to win more games for their players to have a stronger candidacy for awards.

While Murray's candidacy for one of the All-Defensive Teams came up short again, what matters most is that he earned his first All-Star appearance. His overall impact on both ends remains key in what the Spurs seek to build long-term.

Published May 21, 2022

GRANT AFSETH

Grant Afseth is an NBA reporter primarily covering the Dallas Mavericks, but also the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic for FanNation, as well as the league at larger for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).