EXAMINING DEJOUNTE MURRAY'S FIT WITH THE PELICANS

The New Orleans Pelicans made the first of potentially many offseason moves on June 28. They acquired guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks.

The move signifies the Pelicans' desire to go all in, as they believe that Murray can act as one of the final pieces to push them over the hump. Following last season's success, it seemed like the Pelicans had established a strong enough core to be competitive but were still missing something.

The addition of Murray brings an elite on-ball scorer who can take over games and lessen the load of franchise player Zion Williamson . He (likely) takes the place of Brandon Ingram , the team's number two option last season, who could get moved soon due to his poor fit with the team.

But what makes the Pelicans sure that Murray can take the team to the next level? Is Murray's addition an upgrade and how does he fit into this roster?

The MurrayWilliamson Pairing

Murray is a decent, high-volume three-point shooter

There were two major issues with the Ingram and Williamson pairing. First, they both needed the ball in their hands to be at their best, and second, they didn't provide enough spacing for the other to succeed.

Williamson tends to attack the basket, often forcing multiple help defenders to rotate onto him. This defensive attention means open shot opportunities for his teammates, but Ingram wasn't a great enough catch-and-shoot player to capitalize. He only converted 36.9 percent of his 2.5 catch-and-shoot threes per game last season.

In contrast, Murray converted 39.2 percent of his 3.7 catch-and-shoot threes.

Even though Murray is still just as ball-dominant of a player as Ingram, his ability to convert open threes provides the spacing needed for Williamson to succeed. He's even used to being a second option after playing behind Trae Young on the Hawks.

But he'll get a bigger role on the facilitating side with the Pelicans. Murray averaged 6.4 assists per game last season, more than any player on the Pelicans. He created just under 17 points per game from his passing alone and averaged nearly 12 potential assists.

This season, he gets to play alongside Williamson, who converts on passes to the rim better than any player Murray has ever played with.

Last season, Williamson was mostly assisted by C.J. McCollum, and 84 percent of those assists came from shots converted at the rim.

While the pairing of Williamson and Murray remains questionable due to both players being extremely ball-dominant, they still complement each other's games quite nicely, and the duo should fit together better than Williamson and Ingram did.

The Pelicans Are Betting on Murray To Be a Closer

The Pelicans were 0-24 when trailing after the third quarter last season

Some of the Pelicans' biggest issues last season came in clutch time. The team was 0-24 when trailing after the third quarter and 2-14 in close games. They only lost 33 games last season, so the sheer volume of fourth-quarter losses was an area that needed to be addressed.

The big problem with the team was that no player could consistently facilitate and score late in games. Many of the Pelicans' possessions in the clutch felt very stagnant, with many of them looking like their stars were taking turns in isolation.

Without good ball movement or a player who could effectively and consistently create a perimeter shot, the Pelicans crumbled in nearly every clutch situation. The addition of Murray is meant to introduce a player who can take over the ball-handling opportunities when the game gets close.

So, does the addition of Murray solve their clutch problems? Sort of.

He's not the most efficient scorer by any means, averaging only 46 percent field goal shooting on nearly 19 attempts per game. But he is someone who isn't afraid to create a shot, and that's what the Pelicans need.

Despite only averaging 46 percent on fourth-quarter field goal attempts and 35 percent on fourth-quarter three-point attempts, Murray should provide enough of an offensive spark to help the team close games.

Murray had his fair share of clutch moments last season and, with more responsibilities, could prove to be an effective leader who can take the team to the next level.

2024-07-05T03:44:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd