{"id":539117,"date":"2026-01-15T20:52:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T20:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/539117\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T20:52:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T20:52:18","slug":"how-trey-murphy-iii-really-feels-about-all-star-disrespect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/539117\/","title":{"rendered":"How Trey Murphy III really feels about All-Star disrespect"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA\u2019s All-Star process has never been kind to teams buried at the bottom of the standings, and Trey Murphy III understands that reality<\/a> as well as anyone. The new-look New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> started training camp with playoff aspirations, but the season has been derailed by injuries to its most established stars. Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson, both former All-Stars, have spent much of the 2025-26 campaign sidelined.<\/p>\n

Their absence has left Murphy III as the primary offensive engine on a roster built around shared responsibility. The results have been impressive on an individual level and discouraging everywhere else. So when it comes to the NBA All-Star voting math, the calculus is simple<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs tough as it is, the biggest thing is winning games,\u201d began Murphy III, \u201cbut that’ll come along as we progress and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n

It’s a measured response from a player who has every statistical reason to feel overlooked. Since Nov. 8, Murphy III has averaged 24.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals and blocks combined while shooting 52.9% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range. Those are numbers that typically generate All-Star buzz.<\/p>\n

\"NewStephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the Pelicans are 8-23 in that same stretch. The team has limped to a 2-11 record since Christmas Eve, sitting in last place while Murphy III’s exceptional play has largely gone unnoticed beyond New Orleans. Zion Williamson has publicly campaigned<\/a> for his teammate’s All-Star inclusion, but there has been little beyond that from the organization, especially when it comes to on-court support.<\/p>\n

Both Williamson and Dejounte Murray, players with All-Star credentials and salary cap space-eating contracts, have been sidelined for most of the season with injuries. Murphy III understands the reality of the situation, even if it’s frustrating.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, you’ve got to win games,\u201d Murphy III shrugged. \u201cThat’s just realistic. If you don’t win games, you don’t get rewarded with personal accolades. So, no matter how well I’m doing, it doesn’t really matter because we are not winning games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy III’s comments come at a pivotal moment for the Pelicans, who are grappling with more than just injuries. The 25-year-old stalwart admitted it took a few weeks to get comfortable, especially amid the drama that surrounds an impending coaching change. November 8 against the San Antonio Spurs, though, the future All-Star muscled up and earned some money and respect over Victor Wembanyama.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the Spurs game when I had (41 points). That’s when I started feeling like myself again, I’d guess,\u201d Murphy III admitted. \u201cI think the biggest thing was finding a routine, and now I feel like I’ve found a routine that works for me. That’s staying consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trey Murphy III’s numbers scream for attention, a breakout star emerging from the bayou. The record, however, mutes the message. Still, the pragmatism about the situation speaks to a mature understanding of how the NBA works.<\/p>\n

There’s no bitterness in his acknowledgment, no complaints about being overlooked. Just a clear-eyed assessment that personal accolades are earned through team success, and the Pelicans simply haven’t provided that foundation this season. Playing like an All-Star does not necessarily mean you’re an All-Star. The disrespect, if it exists, is not something he wears on a shooting sleeve.<\/p>\n

It is something the first-round gem files away, another reminder of what still needs to change in New Orleans before individual achievements can mean what they are supposed to mean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NBA\u2019s All-Star process has never been kind to teams buried at the bottom of the standings, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":539118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3796],"tags":[7,1285,6,7218,1286,478,470,4073,4072,675,2144,6514],"class_list":{"0":"post-539117","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-orleans-pelicans","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-editorials","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-nba-all-star-game","12":"tag-nba-editorials","13":"tag-new-orleans","14":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","15":"tag-neworleans","16":"tag-neworleanspelicans","17":"tag-pelicans","18":"tag-reporting","19":"tag-trey-murphy-iii"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115901101549560932","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/539118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}