The New Orleans Pelicans and their fans are in a strange spot right now. The team has a lot to be excited about in the future, but their current season, the 2024-25 NBA campaign, offers them practically nothing to look forward to.
Due to a litany of injuries early in the year, the Pelicans were essentially eliminated from the playoffs just weeks into the season. Because of that, they were forced into a tank, even though their roster was clearly built to compete and try to win in the immediate present. The trade deadline offered the exciting potential of a complete personnel overhaul, but the team ended up mostly staying put. New Orleans did end up moving Daniel Theis in a salary dump and they finally pulled the trigger on trading Brandon Ingram, an inevitable conclusion to a disappointing years-long pairing. While they took care of business, the trade deadline was a bit underwhelming compared to the lofty expectations that the Pelicans built up leading into it.
Now that the trade deadline's passed, the New Orleans faithful don't have much left to look forward to this season. The team is clearly trying to lose as many games as they can to maximize their odds for the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, so there won't be many moral victories to celebrate. One of the only things left that the fans can appreciate is the development of their young players. Trey Murphy III's ascension into stardom has been the greatest aspect of the Pelicans' season this year, and his recent comments on his growth should only further encourage fans.
Trey Murphy III's not satisfied with his growth so far
Trey Murphy III might not be getting much buzz for Most Improved Player in the mainstream, but he's undoubtedly had one of the most notable breakout seasons in the NBA this year. Last season, he put up 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep. This year, he's up to 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a night, maintaining his deep accuracy at 38 percent and hitting 46 percent overall now.
It's not just a matter of increased opportunity either. His numbers are almost up across the board per 36 minutes too, aside from rebounds. Murphy has significantly expanded his game, becoming more dangerous as a self-creator off of the dribble and parlaying that into playmaking development. He's used his advanced repertoire to increase his production as well.
Despite all of the major strides he's made already, TMIII still isn't content with where he's at. He recently went on The Kevin O'Connor Show and expressed his desire to continue to grow as a player:
"I've always had the mindset of attacking the summer, and I never want to go into another season and be the same player I was the year before... I just really enjoy the process, I enjoy getting better, I enjoy being in the gym, so with that time being spent, I know I'm going to get better."
"I knew for sure I was going to be a really good NBA player. I didn't know exactly when that would happen. [Now that it's here] I feel like I belong. It's not like a fluke."
These comments tell us two things. One, that Trey Murphy III isn't shocked or uncomfortable with his rise to stardom. More importantly, they also say that he's not done growing. With that mindset, there's no telling just how high he can climb for the Pelicans.