Trey Murphy III
Murphy is the Pelicans' main perimeter scorer and plays about 32 minutes a game, but his shooting has been shaky and his early usage has been questioned. The knee issue looks minor, since he is probable for Monday's game against the Grizzlies.
Role
ESPN's player page shows 5 games, 32.4 minutes, 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, with 46.4% FG and 35.5% from three. Recent games ran 29 to 37 minutes: 32 against Indiana, 30 against Denver, 32 against Sacramento and 29 against Atlanta on Oct. 31 (NBA.com game log). Whether he starts is unclear. Fox Sports says he came off the bench in some preseason games after starting two others, and I did not find a regular-season starting lineup. The competition for his shots is not spelled out in what I read. An SI On Si piece, about eight days old, ties his reduced usage to the 0-2 start and to Herb Jones' limited minutes. I did not read it in full, and its claim that he plays four fewer minutes per game is not tied to a baseline in the snippet. I did not fetch a rotation or depth chart page, so I report no confirmed starting five.
Rotowire-style blurbs credit him with an established scoring role and steady minutes, with more upside when his perimeter shot is falling. He has logged 29 to 37 minutes in the early games. His 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting against Denver shows what he can do. The SI piece argues his history with Jones has worked, so a better lineup fit could raise his opportunities.
His shooting has been inefficient since the preseason, and he scored a season-low six points on 2-of-7 shooting against Denver. SI says his opportunities have shrunk early, and it notes his pairing with Zion Williamson had a negative net rating in each of the past two seasons. A FantasyData item from about 206 days ago said he could be a trade target, and a later blurb said the Pistons and Pacers might return. I could not date either item against the current season. This is a risk to his role and not a confirmed move.
Where analysts split
The disagreement is whether the early dip in his usage is a lineup problem the Pelicans will fix, with Murphy and Jones playing together more, or a lasting role cut. The coverage I found is thin and does not give a clear split between named analysts.
Injury: GTD: assessed minor
Bilateral patella tendinopathy, probable
Murphy is probable with knee tendinopathy and expected to play Monday; only a minor downgrade risk since he's not ruled out.
What would change this: Final confirmation of his status before tip-off Monday
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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