New Orleans Pelicans Young Guard Among Top Possible Breakout Players

A New Orleans Pelicans guard has made a list about the top possible breakout players in the NBA.

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) shoots a jump shot against Oklahoma City Thunder during game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans currently have a lot of star power on their roster heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

While that could change if the team decided to make a move involving star forward Brandon Ingram, it seems likely that he will be with the team when the regular season gets underway.

Zion Williamson is still the franchise cornerstone for the Pelicans, with Ingram, Dejounte Murray, and C.J. McCollum being the primary supporting cast. However, there is another player that could be looking at a potential breakout campaign this year.

FanSided writer Josh Cornelissen recently took a look at five potential breakout players for the upcoming season and listed New Orleans guard Trey Murphy III at No. 3 in the rankings.

Cornelissen even suggested that an All-Star appearance could be in the cards for Murphy down the road.

"The waters are uncertain, but if Murphy can get the opportunity he looks ready to explode and be a two-way starting forward and then some. It's not out of the question to see him in the All-Star conversation in the years to come."

At 24 years old, Murphy has just started scratching the surface of his full potential over his first three NBA seasons.

During the 2023-24 season with the Pelicans, Murphy ended up playing in 57 games, with 23 of them being starts. He averaged 14.8 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

In addition to those averages, Murphy shot 44.3 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 38.0 percent of his three-point attempts.

So far, he has proven himself to be a very capable young scorer. He can create his own shot and step out to knock down a three. Murphy has also become a quality defender.

However, there are some areas that he needs to take his game to the next level.

One of the main areas of improvement has to come in his ability to make plays for his teammates. As opposing defenses look to slow down his scoring, he'll need to become a threat to create shots for others. If he can do that, it will open up his offensive game in a big way.

Expect to see Murphy take the next step this season. He truly does belong on a list of players ready to break out and New Orleans will need him to do so.

If he can live up to this kind of hype, the Pelicans could be a serious team to watch in the Western Conference.