The Spurs have always been willing to throw young players into the spotlight, and Gregg Popovich is doing just that with rookie point guard Dejounte Murray. With Tony Parker out for the playoffs, the Spurs have decided to start Murray in Game 3 Friday night over the more experienced Patty Mills.

Murray has only played 38 games this season and hasn't averaged many minutes, but he has started in eight games so this isn't anything out of the ordinary for San Antonio. If anything, it might be a better at allowing Popovich to keep his rotations tight.

This is a little surprising, because Mills has been phenomenal this season. He might not be starting, but his role on the team has been just as important as Parker's in terms of minutes and contribution. It seemed like putting Mills in Parker's place was the easiest solution.

However, this does allow Popovich to keep his second unit intact with Mills. Murray, on the other hand, has had a big responsibility thrust upon him. Time to see if the rookie can step up on the biggest stage of his young career.