New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III can shoot with the best of them, but the rookie knows he will have to begin to adjust his game as teams work to limit his space.
Murphy drained 17 3-pointers during the preseason, which was tied with Stephen Curry for the second-most among all players. He converted on 53.1% from beyond the arc, and has carried that hot shooting into the regular season.
The 17th pick is averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds on 42.9% shooting (9-of-21) from 3-point range this season. He is hitting 1.8 3s in 22 minutes per game and has made at least two in all but one of his five games to this point.
He knows teams will be keying in on his shooting as the year progresses.
The scouting report is out. Everybody knows I can shoot the ball. I’m not getting a whole lot of clean looks anymore. I just have to find ways to get my shot off, and also use my gravity to get other people shots. If people are not helping, then there is more space on my side so anyway I can help the team that’s the best thing for me.
The Pelicans view Murphy as a key player off the bench with his ability to space the floor. His shooting can help open things up for others on the team and that will give them the ability to really expand their playbook throughout the year.
Murphy likely won’t have huge numbers on a consistent basis this season but his production off the bench will prove to be very beneficial for New Orleans.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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