Trey Murphy III Making An All-Star Level 2nd-Year Leap

Trey Murphy III, the 17th pick in the summer's 2021 NBA Draft, was suiting up for the Birmingham Squadron in January. The New Orleans Pelicans knew the University of Virginia alum had All-Star potential but the confidence to show it on the court was a different matter. The shots were not falling as a rookie. They were hitting the side of the backboard just as often as they were swishing in on some nights.

A few months later, Murphy III was more comfortable in his role and had worked back into Willie Green's rotations. He got "called up, not called out" during the NBA Play-In Tournament elimination game. The response was knocking down four three-pointers and scoring 14 second-half points to help the Pelicans rally and beat the L.A. Clippers.

That confidence has carried over into this season and it's hard to miss how much it has helped push the Pelicans to the top of the Western Conference playoff race. Juggernaut teams have gotten four players into the showcase exhibition before. Murphy III's rise could earn him a spot in the NBA All-Star game sooner rather than later.

"Are you more comfortable driving and finishing through contact from a year ago?"

"You see it, don't you? Pretty comfortable." @treymurphy 😂 pic.twitter.com/RFRwfJ8Ajc
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 29, 2022

Murphy III is the team's second-best player according to 538.com's RAPTOR metric. ESPN's Player Rankings says fifth-best on the team, but just the 129th in the NBA. Estimated Plus/Minus projections place him firmly in the 6th Man of the Year bracket. Being voted in over other stars is unlikely but a coaches spot as an injury/load management replacement will be on the table before he signs a second contract.

Somehow the second-year wing is just 8th in usage rate on the team even while flirting with the NBA's top ten percentile in true shooting and effective field goal rate. His shot location chart matches perfectly with the analytic blueprint for spacing the court around Williamson and turnovers are kept to a minimum.

Murphy III shot 42% from inside the arc last season but has bumped that up to 62% this year. Over 60% of his shots are worth three points. Another 25% are dunks or putbacks from within the 3-foot restricted area. Murphy III does his best to avoid the midrange areas where Brandon Ingram likes to work.

Yet Willy Hernangomez has had a higher usage rate than Murphy III over the past 5, 10, and 15 games, regardless of how you sort the sample sizes. Granted, they play drastically different minutes and Murphy III has to share the ball with the other starters but there is some market value being left untouched. The Pelicans are 28th in three-pointers attempted. They are fifth-best at making those shots.

Coach Willie Green has stressed the importance of trusting the spaced-out shooters more. The staff has tried to find ways to work more threes into their game plan. The answer might be simple. The Pelicans just have to let Murphy III grow into greater responsibilities.

Defensive positioning and handling the ball when attacking closeouts is admittedly still a work in progress but his shooting numbers suggest a higher usage rate is in order. Murphy III leads the league in free-throw percentage. Getting him more looks could lead to more free points from the charity stripe.

There are 72 players that have hoisted more than 100 total three-pointers through December 1. Only 10 are making more than Murphy III. Stephen Curry (Warriors), Donovan Mitchell (Cavs) Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), and Tyrese Maxey (76ers) are among those just eclipsing Murphy III's 41.3% on the year.

McCollum (120) takes more for New Orleans, hitting at a 34% clip. Brandon Ingram hits on 47.5% but has just half the attempts (60) of Murphy III's 109. Devonte' Graham and Jose Alvarado help keep teams from packing the paint but Murphy III gets respect out to the logo now. Using that to the team's advantage helps everyone out.

limitless range for TMIII 🎯 pic.twitter.com/JQTy7aKCT0
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 1, 2022

The New Orleans Pelicans built out their future around the Big 3 of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum with recent contract extensions. Both Williamson and Ingram are certified NBA All-Stars and the achievement is one of the few missing from McCollum's resume. It is a solid foundation for a playoff contender.

However, 'Trigga Trey' could be the third All-Star Game representative for the Pelicans as soon as this season. Murphy III entering the three-point contest could happen in Salt Lake City this winter but the dunk contest will have to wait at least one more year while he builds out his winning dunk routines.

At least, that's what Murphy III is telling his biggest fans.

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