2021 NBA Draft Profile: Trey Murphy III
A long, defensive-minded 3-and-D player, Trey Murphy III could be a great role player fit for the Knicks in this draft. But will the fact that he’s basically only 3-and-D limit his ceiling?
Position: Wing, University of Virginia
Age: 21 (6/18/2000)
Height: 6 ft 9 in
Wingspan: 7 ft
Weight: 206 lbs.
Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 21
The Sales Pitch: Wings are worth their weight in gold in today’s NBA. Finding a wing with the shooting prowess that Murphy has displayed in his three years of college along with his size is rare. Murphy was the only D-I NCAA player to post a 50/40/90 slash line this year, and projects to be an immediate plug-and-play wing into a rotation that desperately could use size on the wing.
Elite Traits/Skills: Shooting, size, wingspan
The Devil’s Advocate argument: The only thing not big about Trey is his ceiling. He doesn’t project to be much of a self creator or a passer, is pretty limited in the half court aside from cuts and catch-and-shoot, and doesn’t get to the line much at all. He’ll almost assuredly be a value contract on his rookie scale, but after that, how useful is he? And is that usefulness worth passing over a wing with a higher ceiling, even if it requires more development?
The Misconceptions: Despite his frame, TM3 still has a way to go as a defender. The lower body strength is a problem against more bruising forwards, and he’ll likely be closer to a 2/3 than a 3/4 his first few years in the Association, which may also present issues, given that he isn’t quick enough to keep up with smaller players. You hope he settles into a free safety role on defense, using his length to generate stocks, which is something that he flashed at UVA. He also isn’t much of a movement shooter or someone capable of bending defenses by coming off screens.
Important numbers:
50/43/93: His impressive college slash line
58%: The amount of 2-point attempts he converted on in three years at the collegiate level
40%: The amount of 3-pointers he hit on in three years
82%: The amount of free throws he made in three years at college
.697: His 3-point attempt rate (boy got a ratchet)
54.8%: The percentage of times a play ran for him was a spot-up attempt
49/118 (41.5%): His efficiency on spot-up attempts this season
13: The amount of isolation attempts he had this season
Knicks Fit: Great. Two things the Knicks struggled with this season was finishing at the rim and generating events on defense, and TM3 projects to excel at those things. He’s also an elite spot-up shooter, which is useful next to RJ and Julius. While limited, given where the Knicks are currently slated to pick, hitting on a role player is a win, and TM3 is one of the likeliest hits in the draft.
