The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of a very long season. They entered Wednesday night's home game against the Miami Heat having won just 15 of 55 games. But the one bright spot has been the emergence of Trey Murphy III.
Sadly, that ascension came to a screeching halt vs. the Heat as Murphy III suffered a shoulder injury in the second half. Not long after heading to the locker room, he was ruled out for the rest of the game, per The Athletic's Will Guillory.
Before going down with the injury, Murphy III posted 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting. He chipped in with six assists, four rebounds, and two triples.
Ultimately, the Pelicans lost once again, this time 123-111. Zion Williamson scored a team-high 25 points on an efficient 12-for-19 from the floor.
While most fans in New Orleans have been waiting for Williamson to ascend, it has been the former first-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies who has taken a giant leap forward.
Murphy III is posting career-highs almost across the board this season. His 22.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and a very impressive 1.5 steals per game are all the best of his career. He is shooting 48% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc, near career-highs.
But the Pelicans' biggest problem has been their inability to stop others. New Orleans allows more than 120 points per game, 26th in the NBA. They rank even worse defending the perimeter, allowing 41.1% from downtown (29th in the league).
But barring some bad luck at the NBA Draft Lottery, the Pelicans ought to improve next season.
