Prior to Brandon Ingram’s knee injury on Thursday, New Orleans third-year forward Trey Murphy had been one of the NBA’s most productive reserves in March, second among all substitutes in scoring average (19.5 in eight games, behind only Klay Thompson at 20.3). When he’s a first-stringer this season, Murphy has averaged slightly fewer points per minute than in the second unit, but no one can argue with his team’s results. New Orleans is 10-3 this season in Murphy’s 13 starts and swept weekend road games at Detroit and Miami, despite the 23-year-old experiencing two extremely rare poor shooting nights (5/23 from the field overall, 4/18 on threes). Among those three Murphy-as-starter defeats, one was Jan. 26 vs. Oklahoma City, a game Zion Williamson missed due to injury.
The Rice and Virginia product is accustomed to alternating between Pelicans starter and reserve, having made 78 starts over the past two seasons among 125 games. Asked after Tuesday’s shootaround if his approach changes depending on his role, Murphy said, “Not necessarily. That’s how my career has been here the last two years. Being ready to start or come off the bench, being ready to just hoop.”
Trey Murphy III talks OKC matchup | Pelicans-Thunder Shootaround 3/26/24
Other notes from shootaround:
Murphy is averaging a career-high 4.5 rebounds this season, even though his minutes per game have decreased from 31.0 last season to 27.7. It’s an area he wants to continue to improve, using his 6-foot-8 frame and athleticism to grab more boards.
“It’s been a challenge from (Pelicans) staff – as well as my dad – to rebound the ball a lot better,” he said. “Also I know when I rebound a lot better, then I’m more active and I’m able to get into the game more.” …
New Orleans has struggled offensively against Oklahoma City in two meetings, only generating 96.5 points per game while splitting them. Murphy on the Thunder’s defense: “They have a really high attention to detail, protect the paint pretty well. They just play together as a unit, try to force turnovers and get out in transition. That’s where they are best. Very similar to us.”
Oklahoma City Scouting Report
Offensive efficiency rank: 5 (118.6)
Defensive efficiency rank: 5 (111.4)
Net rating rank: 2 (+7.3)
Streak: Lost 1
Go-to guy: Second in the latest NBA.com “MVP Ladder” rankings behind only Denver center Nikola Jokic, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has established a franchise record by scoring 30-plus points in 50 games this season. One of those instances was Jan. 26 in New Orleans, with Gilgeous-Alexander tallying 31 points on 10/21 shooting. The Pelicans did hold SGA to 20 points on 8/20 shooting in their Nov. 1 comeback victory on OKC’s home floor.
On the rise: There’s no shortage of blossoming players on the Thunder roster, as the franchise has drafted extremely well this decade. OKC center Chet Holmgren would be the Rookie of the Year favorite most seasons, but ranks second on NBA.com’s “Rookie Ladder” behind San Antonio phenom Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren has averaged 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two meetings with New Orleans this season.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. OKC Thunder Pregame Report 3/26/2024
Previous Game Starting Lineups
OKLAHOMA CITY (49-21, 2ND IN WEST)
Sunday loss at Milwaukee
Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren
Notes: The Thunder remain in the midst of a tight race between the top three teams in the West, one game behind No. 1 Denver (51-21) and a half-game ahead of No. 3 Minnesota (49-22). OKC holds the tiebreaker on the Nuggets based on a 3-1 season series. … Coach of the Year contender Mark Daigneault has enjoyed the luxury of only using seven different starting lineups this season. His most common is the group above, with a 42-17 record. No other lineup has been used more than five times.
NEW ORLEANS (44-27, 4TH IN WEST)
Sunday win at Detroit
CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
Notes: The Pelicans inched ahead of the Clippers on Monday for the No. 4 spot in the West. Both teams have challenging upcoming schedules, with New Orleans set to play five consecutive games against opponents with winning records. That’s the case for four of LA’s next five opponents (at Philadelphia, at Orlando, at Sacramento, vs. Denver, with a game at Charlotte in the middle). … Willie Green has used 15 different starting lineups. The current group is 3-1, with Brandon Ingram (knee) sidelined and Murphy inserted at small forward.
FanDuel Keys to the Game
DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
These are two elite defensive teams. In a statistical oddity, Oklahoma City and New Orleans are tied for fifth place in efficiency, with both clubs allowing exactly 111.4 points per 100 possessions. The previous two matchups were low-scoring affairs (NOLA 110-106, OKC 107-83).
DEPTH FOR DAYS
These are two of the NBA’s best second units. The Pelicans are second in bench plus-minus (+2.6), just ahead of the third-ranked Thunder subs (+2.1). NOLA’s Naji Marshall is playing some of the best basketball of his four-year pro career, as is Jose Alvarado in Year 3. Isaiah Joe averages 8.0 points for OKC’s second unit on 41 percent three-point shooting.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
First-Team All-Defense candidate Jones meets MVP candidate Gilgeous-Alexander, who has shooting splits of 44/23/86 in two games against the Pelicans this season. Jones averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals during his team’s 3-1 road trip in Week 22.