Since December 1st, the New Orleans Pelicans are 11-5 with a top three (+8.4) net rating in the NBA. Before that date, which marked the return of third-year sniper Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans sat at 10-9 with the 17th-ranked net rating (+0.7). Though their turnaround isn’t fully due to Murphy’s return, it’s easy to understand how he makes life easier for his teammates and contributes to wins.
The majority of Murphy’s impact comes from his spacing, as he’s one of the best shooters in the league. Shooting 42.3% from three on 6.5 attempts per game, he’s one of just 15 players this season to shoot above 40% from three on high volume. Among shooters 6’8 or taller, the only others who compare to Murphy are Paul George and Cameron Johnson.
Murphy’s range separates him from other wing shooters. He consistently spots up three or four feet behind the three-point line, splashing 41.8% of his triples from 25-29 feet. Defenses must guard Murphy deeper than they want to, moving help defenders away from the rim and other ballhandlers. This deep-range marksmanship is especially lethal in transition, where Murphy jogs into 30-foot bombs before defenses can react.
Outside of his shooting, Murphy provides valuable complementary offense from the wing. Most of the Pelicans’ wings outside of Murphy are defense-first, so Murphy’s presence is a welcome differentiation. He’s made incremental progress as a passer and a mid-range scorer. His turnovers are down from last season. Though Murphy’s offensive repertoire is far from expansive, it doesn’t need to be.
When defenses run Murphy off of the line, he punishes them with an array of side-step and step-back jumpers. With his excellent finishing chops, Murphy snakes his way to the rim with length and speed, his handle allowing him to beat slower defenders off of the dribble. Blow-bys are easy for Trey when defenses press him beyond the arc
Defensively, Murphy is ramping up to NBA speed. He looks a bit slow on the ball, especially guarding screens, and his reaction speed covering the weak side has been slower. His off-ball defense though, as usual, has shined. A disruptor with size and length, Murphy clogs passing lanes with his length and instincts and has been active rotating down to protect the rim. His defensive impact should regress to where it was last season as he continues to recover.
More than maybe anything else, Trey Murphy makes his teammates’ jobs easier. There’s more space on the floor for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram to operate. Murphy’s presence lets New Orleans trot out giant lineups without sacrificing offensive output. With Murphy back in the rotation, the Pelicans should have the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the West.
Analysis by Ben Pfeifer.
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