The San Antonio Spurs appear to have done it again. Thanks to their 67 regular-season wins last season, they weren't supposed to get a difference-maker in the NBA Draft. With the No. 29 pick, though, they might have found a gem: Dejounte Murray.

Murray, 20, barely played for the Spurs until last week, unless you count his regular appearances with the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League. Gregg Popovich, however, decided to start the rookie when Tony Parker suffered a foot injury. Last Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, Murray played a career-high 34 minutes and scored 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Two days later, he had 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting and defended Cleveland Cavaliers star Kyrie Irving. Not bad for a guy who has spent most of the season watching from the end of the bench.

"It doesn't faze him," Popovich said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "He just comes in and plays. I'm really pleased he's shown that kind of fiber and composure."

A native of Seattle, Murray made his name with flashy handles and Jamal Crawford-style one-on-one scoring. As a professional, what's most impressive about him is how smooth and patient he is. Popovich already trusts him enough to leave him on the court late in games, and against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Murray made a clutch floater with less than two minutes left to break a tie.

On a championship-caliber team, opportunities for rookies are scarce. Murray has already demonstrated he knows how to seize them.

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Dejounte Murray is making the most of his playing time. USATSI

This week's rankings:

This week's rankings
1
Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers C

The 76ers star gets to keep the No. 1 spot despite missing a couple of games to rest his knee. He had 26 points, nine boards and two blocks in a victory over the Raptors last week and followed it up with 18 points, five assists and four blocks in a win over the Trail Blazers. Philadelphia is on a roll, and Embiid has a legitimate case to make the All-Star Game as a rookie. In fact, three CBS Sports writers believe he should represent the Sixers in New Orleans.

2
Dejounte Murray San Antonio Spurs PG

What a week. He'll probably plummet in these rankings as soon as Parker gets back, but right now he deserves recognition. Just listen to Jeff Van Gundy rave about him on national television:

It feels a little unfair that the Spurs have him, but then, this is what they do.

3
Malcolm Brogdon Milwaukee Bucks SG

The biggest steal of the draft had a couple of rough shooting nights this week (he went 3-for-18 combined against the Heat and Rockets), but since he's the most mature rookie imaginable, he doesn't let that kind of thing affect his decision-making. Brogdon remains a reliable playmaker, steadying presence and, uh, look at what he did to poor Nerlens Noel:

Nasty.

4
Willy Hernangomez New York Knicks C

The Knicks have a crowded frontcourt, but Hernangomez is forcing Jeff Hornacek to play him. In the past couple of games, Hornacek has given him more minutes than starting center Joakim Noah. Hernangomez is rewarding the coaching staff with post scoring, hard rolls to the basket and energy on the glass. The Marc Gasol comparisons are probably a bit much, but it's hard to argue with his production. Hernangomez had 17 points and 11 rebounds in a win over the Celtics last week, had a DNP-CD the next game and then averaged 9.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in 20.7 minutes in the three games that followed.

5
Dario Saric Philadelphia 76ers PF

Even when Saric's shot is off, he finds different ways to help Philadelphia. It's rare to find a big, skilled versatile forward who doubles as an energy guy, but that's the kind of player Saric is. It's a bonus when he scores well, and he's coming off a 16-point night against the Clippers and a 17-point night against the Bucks, both wins.

6
Kris Dunn Minnesota Timberwolves PG

Dunn's hasn't lived up to the high expectations placed on him this season, but he's coming around. Karl-Anthony Towns gave him a big shoutout on TNT after the Wolves' win over the Clippers last Thursday, and when Dunn started in place of Ricky Rubio against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, he almost recorded a triple-double (10 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, three steals). His confidence is growing.

7
Caris LeVert Brooklyn Nets SG

The swingman shot a perfect 6-for-6 in the Nets' biggest win of the season, a 143-114 blowout against the Pelicans. Their second unit is actually fun when he's out there with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Quincy Acy. LeVert is looking pretty bouncy for a guy who had three foot surgeries in three years in college, and coach Kenny Atkinson routinely asks him to defend opposing stars.

8
Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets SG

Inconsistency is an issue for most rookies, and Murray is an obvious example. Sometimes he looks like a star; other times, he gets lost in the shuffle. His 17 points in 20 minutes against the Wolves on Sunday were impressive, as was his Jordanesque layup against the Jazz Tuesday:

With Emmanuel Mudiay out of the lineup, Murray has seen more minutes at point guard. I can see him playing a C.J. McCollum-like role in Denver for years to come.

9
Malcolm Delaney Atlanta Hawks PG

After an uneven start to the season, Delaney is shooting 49.4 percent and 47.8 percent from 3-point range in January, and the Hawks have really needed that. I feel weird calling 27-year-old with five years of international experience a "rookie," but hey, he technically qualifies.

10
Brandon Ingram Los Angeles Lakers SF

After a couple of 15-point games last week, the long and lanky Ingram has found himself in another shooting slump. He's playing more point guard with D'Angelo Russell out of the lineup, and that experiment has had mixed results. It will pay dividends down the road, though, and he's generally at least trying to make the right play for his team rather than for himself.