The New Orleans Pelicans released an update on the status of forward Trey Murphy III, who injured his left knee on Tuesday while working out at the Pelicans’ practice facility.
According to the release, Murphy underwent “a successful partial meniscectomy and received a biologic injection in his left knee” on Thursday afternoon. The forward, entering his third NBA season is expected to make a full recovery but should miss roughly 10-12 weeks.
Gone Til November
If so, that would mean that he would miss at least the first 11 and as many as the first 19 games of the 2023-24 regular season. The Pelicans had seven players in their main rotation who missed 10 games or more during the 2022-23 campaign.
Last season Murphy III was one of the leading candidates for Most Improved Player after playing in 79 games with 65 starts for the Pelicans. He more than doubled his playing time from his rookie season with significant statistical improvement across the board.
His scoring average rose from 5.4 points to 14.5 points per game and he shot 40.6 percent from the three-point range and converted more than 61 percent of his two-point attempts while shooting better than 90 percent from the charity stripe. Those numbers put him in some very exclusive company.
Shooting Star
Trey Murphy III was also one of only six players in the NBA to make at least 200 three-pointers while shooting better than 40 percent from distance.
For the Pelicans, he and CJ McCollum were the only players on the roster to make at least 100 three-pointers on the roster.
For a team that finished near the bottom of the league in three point attempts, makes, and percentage, the loss of Murphy for any amount of time is significant.
Murphy provides a unique combination of length, shooting, and athleticism. Without him the Pelicans will have to utilize multiple players to fill his roles on offense and defense.
Health has been the major concern for the Pelicans since they were still the Hornets, and now it appears that they will enter another season at less than full strength. Certainly everyone on Airline Drive and who roots for the Pels will be praying for a speedy recover for the franchise’s budding star.
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