You are probably expecting me to rip into the New Orleans Pelicans for putting on a disaster class in how to close a game Saturday night, falling to the Denver Nuggets 141-135. If that was your assumption, you'd be wrong. To me, there’s no point in hammering home something that's been a constant with the Pelicans since I started covering them: their inability to close a game. Instead, let’s talk about Trey Murphy III, who had his best game of the season so far against Denver. Trigga finished with 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one steal while shooting 10-of-17 from the field.
From the opening tip, Murphy III showed a different level of assertiveness than he did in the previous two games. He hunted his own shot and created for himself far more than he did against either Utah or Indiana, and the Pelicans’ offense looked way more fluid because of it. Murphy III hit three of his four three-point attempts and had 17 points by halftime, and New Orleans led 73-57.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at the Pelicans roster and say they aren’t going to be in the hunt for a top-six spot this season. However, a play-in berth isn’t hyper-unrealistic even after a 0-3 start. But for that to be in the Pelicans' future, they need Murphy III to play with the same energy he did on Saturday night.
Murphy III needs the ball more
This is something I’ll touch on over the next two days or so, but one of the bigger issues I’ve had through three games with the Pelicans is that their best players aren’t getting enough shots.
Yes, I know the ball movement is great and definitely was a big part of New Orleans having the lead they did through three quarters. When you lack spacing, constant swinging of the rock is eventually going to lose the defense and get someone an open look. However, Zion Williamson and Murphy III need to get more looks. I’m not sure whether this is a Jamahl Mosley offensive-system issue, New Orleans starting two guards who struggle off the ball, or because they aren’t being aggressive enough, but it needs to be figured out.
Murphy III took 11 shots on opening night and nine against the Jazz. That isn’t going to cut it. For him and this team to be at their best, Murphy III has to lead the team in shots or be a close second to Zion. It’s not just that he is an elite scoring threat, but also that his three-point shooting is a weapon that can't be undervalued, especially for this team.
I’ve spoken about this several times before, but this roster was not built for the modern NBA. It just doesn’t have the shooting talent to match up against winning teams, and that won’t change overnight. But if the Pelicans can get Murphy III the same amount of looks he got in Denver, he can help make up for the lack of three-point scoring volume.
SO GET HIM THE BALL MORE, MOS.
I know that loss in Denver sucks. Flat-out no way to sugarcoat it. But if I’m walking away from that game with a positive takeaway, it’s that the Pelicans' offense looks so much better when they have Trey Murphy III being aggressive and calling his own number on offense.
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