Trey Murphy III goals for the 2024-25 NBA season with the New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have been a burgeoning playoff team for a while now, practically the entire time that they've had both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram under their employ. Because they've been viewed as the "next team up" for several years now, it's easy to forget that this is still a young team that's on the rise.

Outside of CJ McCollum, all of their core parts are either still growing into their primes or just entering it. Zion is 24, BI is 27, Dejounte Murray is 28, Herb Jones is 25, and Trey Murphy is 24. Zion and TMIII especially are still surprisingly young.

Murphy III has already established himself as one of the most dangerous off-ball weapons in the league, due to his combination of marksmanship and volume from beyond the arc. In just his third season in the league, he maintained his accuracy while increasing his output to nearly eight deep attempts per game.

Trey Murphy III is a big reason why the New Orleans Pelicans should still be considered a young team with plenty of potential room left to grow. This upcoming season is a big one for both him and the Pelicans, and Murphy III should have some very intentional goals set for himself to help keep his development on track.

Trey Murphy III's goals for the 2024-25 season with the New Orleans Pelicans

1. Average over 10 3PA per game

It's clear that TMIII is one of the best 3-point snipers in the entire league. Something else that's apparent is that the Pelicans need all of the shooting that they can get to space the floor for Zion, BI, CJ, and DJM to be able to carve up defenses inside of the arc. Unfortunately, New Orleans doesn't have many feared shooters on the roster.

They could either find more shooting on the trade market or get it from internal development. Now, there are plenty of players on the Pelicans that could improve their deep touch. Honestly, though, it's probably more feasible that TMIII increase his 3-point output than any of the other New Orleans players. At 7.8 deep tries per game, Murphy III was tied for 19th in the league in 3-point attempts. Getting to over 10 triples a night would put him in the top-three for last year, which is a fitting place for him due to his skillset and circumstances.

2. Get dunks to 15% of FGA

TMIII is an undeniably great shooter, but his marksmanship isn't the only reason why he's such a beloved and promising young player. It's the fact that he's a great shooter while also being a great athlete who stands 6'9" with a seven-foot wingspan. He recorded a 38" vertical at the draft combine.

Despite all of his physical gifts, Murphy has yet to surpass 85 dunks in a single season. Last year, he only recorded 38 slams in 57 games. A lot of this has to do with scheme and role, but not taking advantage of TMIII's athleticism and versatility is a disservice to both him and the Pelicans as a team. New Orleans has a lot of athletes and slashers, but there's no reason why TMIII shouldn't be throwing it down at least once a game. Maybe Head Coach Willie Green needs to use him more as a roller off of screen actions. Regardless, the Pelicans need to find a way to utilize Murphy's physical gifts more.