Why doesn’t Trey Murphy III play for the New Orleans Pelicans?

One of the biggest surprises of the New Orleans Pelicans’ season is that rookie Trey Murphy III hasn’t been able to stay in the rotation.

It’s not uncommon for rookies to get buried in an NBA depth chart, as most of them aren’t ready to make meaningful contributions on a team that is trying to win.

But I thought Trey Murphy III was going to thrive in New Orleans as a guy who can hit spot-up 3-point shots and offers some length defensively on the perimeter.

He was great in Summer League and preseason (further proof of how meaningless they ultimately are) but has since been used sparingly and now not at all, as he’s not been a regular part of the rotation for over a month and has now spent time in the G-League.

And it’s not like the Pelicans don’t need players. They have suffered a ton of injuries and have used just about everyone in the rotation at this point.

Second-round pick Herbert Jones is now an untouchable part of the starting lineup. We’ve seen guys like Jose Alvarado and Gary Clark move ahead of Murphy on the depth chart, along with veterans like Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky.

Even worse is that the Pelicans have been struggling mightily to make 3-point shots, the thing Murphy is supposed to be good at, so why can’t he get in there?

Why is Trey Murphy III out of the New Orleans Pelicans’ rotation?

Considering this has turned into more of a developmental year with young guys getting reps and carving out roles, it seems odd that first-round pick Trey Murphy III has barely gotten any run while their 2nd-round pick and two-way players are getting reps.

I don’t want to speculate too much, but there must be something coach Green is not seeing, otherwise Murphy would be in there, as Green has shown a willingness to play anyone regardless of status or age.

I go back to training camp, when coach Green laid out his three non-negotiable rules, which are to compete and defend at a higher level and to share the ball.

I can only guess that Murphy is not doing one or more of those things, as coach Green has rewarded guys like Jones and Alvarado with more minutes after they put in the work on the defensive end.

The New Orleans Pelicans definitely need shooting, as they have dropped to 26th in the NBA in 3-point percentage and have shot just 19 percent from long range over their last three games.

I ultimately trust Coach Green’s assessment, as he sees these guys play and compete every day, but it does seem odd that a team desperate for bodies and 3-point shooting can’t find minutes for their first-round pick.