With both Chet Holmgren and Zion Williamson ruled out for Thunder vs. Pelicans, a few players should see an increase in scoring opportunities. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort jump out as options to back on Wednesday. But, there’s a New Orleans player who stands to gain more.
Trey Murphy III over 14.5 points -115
Murphy made his season debut on Monday and finished with 12 points in just over 25 minutes. Last season, Murphy averaged over 14 points per game. He didn’t fall short of that number in his first 2024-25 game due to lack of looks, though.
The New Orleans forward only went 4-for-14 from the floor on Monday. Two of those shots were 3-pointers. He also knocked down his only two free-throw attempts in that game. So for starters, this is a play at the expectation that he’s due for positive regression. Furthermore, with Holmgren also sidelined for Thunder vs. Pelicans, that should provide better looks for Murphy in the paint.
Then there’s New Orleans’ injuries. On top of Williamson and CJ McCollum being out for Thunder vs. Pelicans, Jose Alvarado is unavailable due to a hamstring injury. When those three were off the floor last season, Murphy saw a 19.66% boost in his points per possession average.
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