#3 Dejounte Murray
After missing the majority of his third season in the NBA recovering from an injury, the San Antonio Spurs took a chance and gave Dejounte Murray an extension. It was a leap of faith, as the Spurs were gambling that Murray could recover and continue to take leaps forward in his game. Murray showcased last year that the gamble was going to pay off. The 25-year-old guard had his best season yet, averaging 15.7 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals.
For a player who still has so much potential ahead of him, Manu Ginobili should be a fantastic mind to learn from. Murray is at his best when it comes to using his quickness and feel for the game to create offense. Both of those areas were something of a specialty for Ginobili as well.
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#2 Devin Vassell
Although he finds himself listed here at number two, I do think that Devin Vassell could be a player who blossoms under Manu Ginobili's training. Vassell has a very similar type of two-way presence to Ginobili's over the course of his career. Both players are intelligent and make plays that won't show up in the box scores. They understand how to position themselves on both sides of the ball to make an impact and help their team out. Vassell is a player viewed as a potential breakout candidate in his second season and Ginobili should only continue to help with that idea.
#1 Keldon Johnson
There's been a history when it comes to young players having successful NBA seasons after they spent time playing in the Olympics. A similar potential situation could happen for Keldon Johnson this year. After turning some heads with his play for Team USA, Johnson now looks like a potential force for the Spurs moving forward in the starting lineup. Heading into his third season in the NBA, Johnson should be oozing with confidence after showing that he belonged with some of the best basketball players in the world this summer. Ginobili should only continue to help Johnson reach his full potential.
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