Toure’ Murry is Ready for the Next Level – Insider pres. by ZTE USA

By Bryan Gutierrez | January 13, 2016
Twitter

Facebook

Email

Toure’ Murry showed his potential during the D-League Showcase last week. Murry, 26, continued his trend of leading the Texas Legends in the assist column as he dished out eight assists in Texas’ first Showcase game against the Westchester Knicks. Murry struggled from the field in the second game against the Delaware 87ers, shooting just 5-of-13 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range, but he still managed to score 14 points and added a team-high-tying seven assists in Texas’ victory. Murry currently ranks third in the league in assists at 6.6 per game. He has been the game-high leader in assists in 10 of Texas’ games. Murry is also averaging 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game for the Legends this season.

ZTE_WebUpdate
The fact that the Showcase has now been going on for 12 seasons shows that the D-League has grown by leaps and bounds. The league only had eight teams when it began back in 2001. In 2016, the league has expanded to 19 teams and is continuing to grow. Some may say that leads to a watered down product, with talent being spread too thin. The D-League would counter by saying that 38 percent of all NBA players participating in the 2015-2016 NBA season at one time participated in the D-League. That’s what makes events such as the Showcase that much more of an opportunity for players in the league.

“I know it’s called the Showcase, but it really is an opportunity to showcase yourself in front of GMs and scouts,” Murry said of the event. “They even show some of the games now on NBA TV. That definitely helps with exposure. It allows you to display your skills where everyone can see you play.”
Murry was not drafted in the 2012 NBA Draft after playing four years at Wichita State University, where he had career averages of 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. A majority of players select playing professional basketball overseas as opposed to spending their time in the D-League. While he traveled overseas to Turkey and Israel, Murry did not play international basketball. Texas’ point guard is now in his fourth season in the D-League.

The fact that he’s spent all of his time in the D-League as opposed to playing overseas is not a knock on his development as a player, either. For players coming out of college or are eligible to play in the NBA, you can make a case that playing in the D-League helps the likelihood of being able to make the leap into the NBA. Some players opt to go overseas for financial reasons. Players can pursue a contract overseas, but that doesn’t present any guarantees that they will make their way back to the United States and earn an NBA contract. While the game is the same, the style of play and rules for the international game are different than the traditional NBA game. The D-League replicates the NBA as much as possible, allowing scouts and executives to monitor the league with a better sense of understanding a player’s potential.

“I think players are starting to understand that there are opportunities to get better in the D-League,” Murry said. “The exposure that is now coming more and more helps brings guys to the D-League. I think the D-League is definitely a place where you can go and work your way towards getting an contract in the NBA. That’s what everyone is playing for, the chance to play in the NBA. The opportunities available in the D-League are a great way to try to get there.”

toure_insider_2

Before joining the Legends, Murry spent last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. He was a member of the Vipers’ championship team back during the 2012-2013 season. Murry started in 30 of the 46 games for Rio Grande that season and averaged 8.3 points. He played for the New York Knicks during the 2013-2014 season, averaging 2.7 points in 51 games of action. Before returning to the Vipers for the 2014-2015 season, Murry played for the Erie BayHawks and Idaho Stampede of the D-League. His play during his second stint with the Vipers earned him an NBA call-up to the Washington Wizards on a 10-day contract. He’s now using events like the Showcase to help further display that he’s ready for another chance at playing in the NBA.

ZTE_WebUpdate

Scouts will take note of Murry’s performance in the Showcase. His performance should help his cause as he tries to earn another call-up from an NBA team. Feeling pressure is something that is hard to avoid during the Showcase. Murry just played to his strengths, played his game, and looked at the stage as an opportunity.

“There’s a little pressure there because you want to play well,” Murry continued. “You just want to play well, trust all the work you’ve put in. You want to play for yourself, but more importantly, you want to play for the team. You’re with your team every day and everyone wants to win.”

When they look at his game, scouts will see that Murry has created a body of work during his time in the D-League that shows growth and development. In addition to becoming one of the better facilitators in the league, Murry has shown a commitment to better shot selection and improving his shooting percentages; The two go hand in hand. By managing the type of shots he’s taking and considering whether they are good or not, he is seeing improved results with his actual percentages. While he still needs to work to become a consistent shooter, Murry has shown that he’s coachable and is willing to put in the work in an attempt to improve his game. Emerging as one of the league’s bests in terms of assists over recent years also shows that Murry is getting more comfortable running a team.

toure_insider_1
“I’ve seen the most growth in my game with this year’s team,” Murry said. “I’ve been in situations where I’m the full-time point guard and running the team. I feel comfortable at the point guard position on this team. I’ve grown a lot in terms of maturity and with the point guard position.”
According to multiple sources, teams were keeping a close eye on Murry’s performances in the Showcase. With NBA experience and the ability to run an offense as a guard coming off the bench, Murry just needed to remind scouts what he could do while the Legends were in Santa Cruz, California. That is exactly what he did.

toure_insider_3

“With the world we live in, with all of the social media available today, you hear the whispers,” Murry said of a potential call-up. “I’ve heard the whispers. I just have to trust the process, keep playing for my team, and the love of the game. In the end, things will work out as they’re supposed to. All I can keep doing is working to improve every day and trust this process.”

Being the type of facilitator that he is, Murry has proven to be a very unselfish player. Being a point guard who can fit in any system and contribute in ways other than scoring the basketball will help his cause. There are teams around the league that could certainly use depth at point guard so he could get a shot to play in the NBA once again. For now, Murry will keep producing for the Legends as he waits for what the next step of the process will present to him

TOURE' MURRY
Legends Acquire Returning Player Rights in Trade with RGV

newyorker4ever wrote:

Knicks1969 wrote:To be honest, I really don't know why it has taken this long to bring in a guy on a 10 day contract....is there a big in the DLeague that can shoot and defend???? If so, we have to give him a look. I don't like what we are getting from Seraphin

Something is up. Phil is either waiting on something to happen or has something in the works cause i just can't see any reason why we wouldn't have already handed out a 10 day to someone to see what he's got.

It does seem strange.

It's funny to me that so many guys here are in favor of a tight rotation and then want to fill out the 15th man on the roster so badly.

I do like the idea of bringing in Toure Murry though.