Pelicans' playoff hopes are getting a boost from an unlikely source

For months, Willie Green and the Pelicans coaching staff have begged Trey Murphy to take more 3-pointers. The efficiency has always been there. The attempts needed to go up to make him a more significant threat.

He finally gave them the response they’d been looking for this past month.

After draining three more triples in a crucial 107-88 victory over the Nuggets on Thursday night, Murphy broke the franchise record for 3-pointers in a single month with the 60 he’s made in March.

Stephen Curry (65) is the only player with more 3s than Murphy this month.

Once his name starts getting thrown around with the best shooter ever, Green has to be a little happier with the number of shots Murphy is taking now, right?

“No, he needs to shoot even more,” Green told reporters in Denver while holding back a smile.

Green was half-joking, but it does fit the way coaches have consistently demanded more from Murphy lately: more aggression, more movement, more attention to detail.

While Murphy had already shown clear improvement from where he was this time last year as a rookie, he always felt there was more to his game that could be revealed if given the chance to spread his wings. His coaches agreed, but he had to find the right way to do it within the offense.

Both sides are finally getting a better idea of how to maximize his impact, and it’s led to him playing the best basketball of his short career during the most important part of the season.

In March, Murphy averaged 18.7 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and a scorching 45 percent from 3-point distance on nearly nine attempts per game.

He’s moving off screens more fluidly. He’s finding open spaces in the defense. He’s pulling up in transition without hesitation.

The second-year forward is becoming more than just an effective complementary piece. He’s turning into one of the better shooters in the game. And it’s not just because of his efficiency. His thirst for more looks forces opposing defenses to stay on high alert whenever he’s on the floor.

Considering how much spacing the floor has been the downfall of the Pelicans offense, Murphy’s recent emergence may have suddenly turned him into the third most important player on this team — behind Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. On nights when McCollum is off, Murphy could rise even more in the hierarchy.

Zion Williamson is getting closer to a comeback, which will change the dynamic. Jonas Valančiūnas’ steady presence has also significantly influenced the Pels’ recent turnaround. He deserves a place in this conversation as the Pels enter Friday seventh in the West at 39-38.

But Valančiūnas can also be limited in certain matchups with his defensive weaknesses. Murphy’s versatility and improved on-ball defense make him an ideal fit against any team at any point.

Since the start of the new year, Murphy has taken the third most catch-and-shoot 3s in the league — trailing only Klay Thompson and Keegan Murray — while shooting 39.6 percent on those attempts, per NBA.com. Having that kind of threat on the outside has opened up driving lanes for Ingram and McCollum that weren’t there a few months ago.

Recently, he’s also provided more off-ball juice to the half-court offense by generating 3-point looks with his movement off screens. Per Synergy, Murphy has made 13 3-pointers while running off screens this season. Six of them came in March. That added element has been essential to breaking up moments when things get stagnant and the ball gets stuck with Ingram and McCollum.

“I had to learn how to adjust because defenses weren’t just letting me get as many easy catch-and-shoot 3s. It wasn’t just about being aggressive. It was about being aggressive in my pursuit of different types of 3s,” Murphy told The Athletic. “I know what kind of shooter I am. I know the more I put up, the more they’ll go down. It was just about finding more ways to get them up.”

Murphy’s growth has led to some buzz around his name in the Most Improved Player conversation, but that’s not only a result of his 3-point shooting.

He’s more comfortable attacking closeouts and getting into the paint with a live dribble. It was a point of emphasis for him last summer while working out with McCollum. He’s also stronger and more explosive, which has turned him into a force in transition.

Per Synergy, he’s No. 2 in points per possession in transition and 11th overall in fast-break points this season, which may surprise some, considering he’s not a downhill threat in the open court like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.

But Murphy is smart about when and how he runs. He doesn’t try to do too much when he gets the ball. He’s either looking to run to the rim and throw down a dunk or stop and pop an open 3 — he’s fifth in transition 3s this season.

Those easier opportunities are invaluable for an offense that can get bogged down and be too dependent on Ingram at times. Murphy has gotten much better at seeking out those opportunities for himself.

He’s also been better at taking advantage when teams force him to be more of a complete scorer instead of just a shooter.

During his rookie season, it was an adventure any time Murphy put the ball on the floor. He didn’t feel confident in his handle and wasn’t sure how to navigate through complicated NBA defenses when they forced him off the line.

This year, he’s getting more comfortable finding gaps in the defense and making the right plays.

As a rookie, only 39 of his 277 field goal attempts came after two or more dribbles. He shot a putrid 20.5 percent on those attempts. This season, he’s got 150 field goal attempts after two-plus dribbles, and he’s shooting 54 percent. Some of his best highlights this year have come from him putting the ball on the floor and getting into the teeth of the defense.

This has encouraged the coaching staff to use him in different sets and give him more opportunities with the ball. He still has a long way to go before he can be utilized as a shot creator more frequently. But his progress to this point is lightyears ahead of where he was last year.

“Trey, he works at it. He’s in the gym all the time working on his craft,” Green said. “It’s always rewarding to see guys who put the work in and are high-character guys be rewarded with their play on the floor.”

While Murphy and Ingram have grabbed some headlines recently, the most exciting storyline surrounding the Pelicans is the pending return of Williamson and what it may mean for this team in the playoff/Play-In race.

While Williamson’s potential return date is still unclear, there may not be anyone looking forward to his return more than Murphy.

He developed a strong chemistry with the Pelicans star, and their two-man game was a thing of beauty before Williamson went down with a strained hamstring on Jan. 2.

Before his injury, Williamson dished more assists to Murphy (26) than he did to anyone else on the roster. Of those 26 assists, 22 of them were 3-pointers. Williamson got very comfortable using Murphy to punish defenses that devoted too much attention to him.

Considering how Murphy is playing lately, he can become an even more potent weapon once the most dominant paint scorer in the game returns. The options will be limited for opposing defenses when Williamson, Ingram, McCollum and Murphy are all on the court together.

“It’s great seeing him do more. Obviously, he’s a big part of our team. He’s a game-changer for us,” Murphy told The Athletic. “I really enjoy playing with him because he makes my job a lot easier. You have to send two or three defenders at him to keep him out of the paint. It’s hard to do that and keep someone attached to me. Defenses pretty much have to pick their poison.”

Even without Williamson, the Pelicans have been mindful about leveraging Murphy’s shooting to create good looks during crucial points in games when things slow down.

Instead of relying solely on Ingram and McCollum to create plays against set defenses, Green has been good at drawing up creative plays to use Murphy as an off-ball threat. Murphy was tied with McCollum for the team’s lead in fourth-quarter points during March (69).

The Pels’ sharpshooter was used purely as a floor spacer earlier in the season during crucial points in the game. Now, he’s being prominently featured in important moments, and open shots for him are often the best shot the Pels could hope for when the game is on the line.

“I love being in those spots. I always want to take those big shots,” Murphy said. “I’m just fortunate my teammates and my coaches trust me to put me in those positions. I’m way more comfortable taking those shots now than I was last year. But a big part of it is the people around me trusting me as much as they have.”

(Top photo of Trey Murphy: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)