1. Who Can Step-Up Outside of DeRozan & Aldridge?

Ginobili, Parker, Leonard, Danny Green and Kyle Anderson are gone – five of the top 10 per-game minute-getters for the Spurs last season. Pau Gasol remains, but his days of 70-plus games at 30-something minutes each night are long gone. Patty Mills will still be the hot-shooting defensive pest he always is, but at barely 6 foot, he is always difficult to play against wing-heavy teams.

Rudy Gay earned a decent contract during the off-season for the way he bounced back from an Achilles injury, but at 32, he probably has his best years behind him. Davis Bertans comes back a year older and better, as does Bryn Forbes. Jakob Poeltl came over in the trade with DeRozan. 

There are also the exciting rookies, including the impressive Lonnie Walker IV, and a second-year man with good multi-positional potential in Derrick White. And the team has signed veterans Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and brought back Marco Belinelli to balance out the youth movement. 

But the person who needs to step up is Dejounte Murray. His great rebounding, fantastic defense, good speed, and exciting athleticism complements what the Spurs have looked for in point guards of the past. He will need to work on his outside shooting and improve his passing, but in Murray, San Antonio has its point guard of the future. He just needs to show that ability this season for the Spurs to even sniff at the 50-plus games they are accustomed to winning.