Trey Murphy must establish himself as a star to save sinking Pelicans

After weeks of torture, the New Orleans Pelicans finally got some good news from the injury report recently. After losing Jose Alvarado for up to six weeks to a left hamstring strain — shortly following the announcement that Zion Williamson would miss 4-6 weeks with his own hamstring troubles — Trey Murphy III was finally made available from — wait for it — a hamstring injury that he suffered at the beginning of training camp. Perhaps the Pels need to lay off the leg presses?

Murphy's return couldn't have come at a better time, with New Orleans quickly running out of available bodies. It may already be too late, as they fell to just 3-9 after their latest blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brandon Ingram desperately needed reinforcements, as he's now played several games without Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, and TMIII, and the Pelicans' record reflects that.

He deserves some grace, as Murphy missed the entirety of training camp and preseason due to his injury. Now, he's working to get back into game shape while the team frantically tries to pull themselves back above the surface after plunging into the suffocating depths of the Western Conference. So far, Trey Murphy III has looked like a player who missed a month's worth of basketball and several weeks of conditioning. He'll need to get right quickly because the Pelicans don't just need him to regain his form; they need him to be better than he's ever been.

Trey Murphy III needs to turn his All-Star potential into All-Star production now

Trey Murphy III is an NBA darling. As an athletic 6'8 wing with deep range and agility, he's an archetype that every single team in the NBA could use. Even if his development completely stalled moving forward, his combination of outside shooting, size, and defense would make him a desirable rotation piece for any contending hopeful.

As great as he is currently, it's his potential that makes him such a tantalizing player. He's already an established sniper, but he's showcased the ability to launch from well-beyond the arc, off of a variety of different catches, angles, and bases, indicating that he could be even more deadly from 3-point land than he's shown.

He's been a positive defender so far in his career, but at 6'8 with a seven-foot wingspan and a 38" vertical, he has the physical tools to be one of the best wing-stoppers in the entire NBA. If he can increase his lateral quickness and add a little strength to negate bully-ball slashers, he could become an elite one-on-one defender.

That athleticism also suggests that he could be a lot more on offense than just a catch-and-shoot threat. While he has the jumper to become an all-time great sniper when it's all said and done, he could definitely still stand to expand his offensive arsenal. Currently, Murphy III doesn't have the ball-handling necessary to capitalize on his physical gifts as a slasher. He has the size and verticality to finish over and through defenders, but he's not able to get into the paint consistently with the ball in his hands. If he can tighten his handle and improve his playmaking, it'll do wonders for his offensive repertoire.

At just 24 years old going into his fourth season, TMIII has plenty of time to make the leap. That said, if the Pelicans still mean to make a run for the playoffs this season, they'll need him to cash in on some of that star potential now. New Orleans is absolutely reeling and the calvary probably isn't coming until early December. Brandon Ingram's going to need some help before then, and Trey Murphy III is the best candidate to provide it.