Trey Murphy could not score single point vs Pelicans veteran in practice, confidence was ‘in the trash’
Trey Murphy is in his fourth season in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans, and he is making strong individual progress.
2024-25 is shaping up as his best yet, averaging 21.8 points per game, up from 14.8 pg in 2023-24.
Trey Murphy is also posting career bests for rebounds (5.2) and assists (3.8) and steals (1.2). He is a bright spot in a challenging season for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Back in his rookie season, Murphy averaged 5.4 points per game, in which he mostly played from the bench, and the Pelicans will be keen he continues his upwards momentum.
Speaking to Jeff Teague’s Club 520 podcast, Trey Murphy spoke about his rough start as a rookie, in which he says he struggled early on.
He said he was shocked by the standard of NBA play, referring to an early practice, where was totally shut down by a former teammate.
Murphy explained: “Devonte Graham, he was on the team too, and at open gym, I ain’t scored one. bucket the whole day, not one whole day.”
Asked about what this did to his confidence, Murphy responded: “In the trash, bro, it was bad.”
He added: “Devonte was like, ‘I can’t lie, bro, you can’t go all day now get one bucket and lay up’.
“I was like, ‘I gotta figure this out’.”
Murphy admits to the fact nerves may have been a factor, and thanks Devonte Graham by taking him under his wing, where he was able to follow his approach.
“The ropes, bro. I’ll watch him workout, and I’m like, I ain’t working hard enough. So, like I gotta figure out if I want to be at his level, I gotta work like he do.
“He was the person that opened my eyes.”
Devonte Graham left the Pelicans to sign with the San Antonio Spurs in 2023-24. Now 30, this past season he has been in the G League, currently on the Rip City Remix.
Asked about his ‘welcome to the NBA moment’ after being drafted in 2021, Trey Murphy says he was taken aback by Brandon Ingram.
He explained: “It might have been the first open gym. I was guarding BI, and I was like, when you see it on film, he moving slow, he’s not really getting by people, he just shooting over them.
“I’m like ‘nah, he was hooping!’”
Brandon Ingram was traded to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline, a move that left Pelicans star Zion Williamson stunned. Despite Williamson being fit again, and improved play from Murphy, the Pelicans are 19-44 on the season, 14th in the Western Conference.
