NOP 124, LAC 109: Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey Combine for 91 Yahoo FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Pelicans Make Statement in New Orleans, Bey and Murphy Lead Upset Bid
The Clippers came to the Smoothie King Center looking like the team that should win a playoff series. They left looking like they'd walked into a buzzsaw. New Orleans 124, LA 109, and honestly, the final margin flatters the visitors. This wasn't close for most of the night.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Murphy III | 54.0 | 49.9 | 23/7/5 | 21.9/5.7/3.9 | +1.1 |
| Saddiq Bey | 46.0 | 41.0 | 25/5/4 | 17.3/5.7/2.5 | +7.7 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 45.0 | 38.1 | 25/8/1 | 28.2/6.4/3.6 | -3.2 |
| Dejounte Murray | 40.0 | 35.3 | 17/4/11 | 19.4/5.3/5.9 | -2.4 |
| John Collins | 32.0 | 31.4 | 18/7/2 | 13.7/5.2/1.0 | +4.3 |
| Herbert Jones | 33.0 | 28.1 | 7/3/3 | 8.9/3.6/2.8 | -1.9 |
| Darius Garland | 31.0 | 26.2 | 13/1/6 | 18.2/2.4/6.8 | -5.2 |
| Zion Williamson | 28.0 | 24.3 | 14/4/3 | 21.4/5.8/3.3 | -7.4 |
| Jordan Miller | 27.0 | 23.1 | 13/3/1 | 9.7/3.0/2.1 | +3.3 |
| Brook Lopez | 21.0 | 23.0 | 11/5/4 | 7.7/3.1/1.2 | +3.3 |
Let's talk about what actually happened here, because there's real fantasy value in understanding it.
The Bey Explosion Nobody Saw Coming
Saddiq Bey put up 25 points on 10-21 shooting with five threes. That's 7.7 points better than his season average. For a guy who's been hovering around 17-18 PPG, this is the kind of performance that screams one-night spike, not sustainable breakout. But here's the thing worth watching: he's been getting consistent minutes (34 last night), he's on a team that's finally running actual offense, and he's legitimately good at basketball. The Pelicans aren't some flash-in-the-pan outfit anymore.
If you've got Bey in a 12-14 team league, you're holding. If he's available, he's worth a speculative add in deeper formats. But don't panic-sell him thinking this is a one-hit wonder. This is the upside tier of his range.
Trey Murphy III Is Quietly Your Plug
Trey Murphy III went 49.9 Yahoo with 23 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Only +1.1 vs his average, which tells you something crucial: he's been consistently doing this all season. This isn't a fluke night. This is baseline Murphy performance. He's hitting 7-17 from the field with 4 threes, which is efficient volume. 39 minutes is telling you Vlad Dadeland trusts him.
If you don't own Murphy in most leagues, that's a roster construction error. He's a security blanket in your backcourt.
Kawhi Leonard Played 29 Minutes and Still Posted 38 Yahoo FP
Kawhi Leonard had 25 points on excellent 9-12 shooting, added 8 boards and 2 steals. But he played only 29 minutes in a blowout loss. The Clippers got dusted, and Kawhi was barely on the floor in the second half. His -3.2 vs season average is actually way better than it should look given the circumstances. He was efficient as hell. The worry isn't Kawhi's performance, it's that he might've been managing load, which matters more for his outlook than last night's numbers do.
For your purposes: Kawhi's still the guy you want, but keep an eye on his minutes going forward. If they stay in the 28-30 range, your ceiling gets capped.
The Dejounte Murray Double-Double Came from Different Places
Dejounte Murray was -2.4 on the season, which seems fine until you break it down. 17 points and 11 assists is a solid line, but he only took 12 shots and played 29 minutes in a loss. The Clippers got out of rhythm quick. Murray's game is predicated on being in flow, and when your team's down 20 with five minutes left, you're not running the offense through your point guard. This wasn't Murray underperforming. This was situation.
Still, he's been inconsistent most of the season, and this game doesn't change that narrative.
The Zion Narrative Continues to Be Frustrating
Zion Williamson went 14 points on 6-8 shooting, which is efficient, and that's basically the problem. He played 27 minutes and got 6 shots. He's -7.4 on the season, which is massive for a guy who averaged 21.4 PPG earlier this year. The Pelicans are figuring out they don't need Zion to win games the way they used to think. That's either really good news (deeper team) or a red flag (Zion's role is shrinking). Probably both.
If you own Zion in your league, this is getting concerning. He's available in some leagues and should be dropped or traded in others. The Pelicans clearly have better ways to win right now.
The Clippers Role Players Got Exposed
John Collins had 31.4 Yahoo FP (18 points, 7 boards, +4.3 vs avg). Good night, especially the +4.3 overachievement. Jordan Miller put up 23.1 FP (13 points, 3 boards). These guys showed up, but the team got cooked around them.
Darius Garland was -5.2 on the season despite an 11 assist night. Playing 28 minutes in a blowout loss will do that. He's been a frustrating asset all year, and this doesn't really change anything.
What This Means Going Forward
The Clippers look vulnerable. They're not a threat tier team right now, which matters for playoff schedules and ceiling discussions. The Pelicans look like they've found something on offense. Murphy and Bey are the guys to own on that roster.
For fantasy purposes: hold Bey, stack Murphy in deeper leagues, pump the brakes on Zion, and don't read too much into any Clippers role player performances until they win a few in a row. Last night was a statement game from New Orleans. Make sure you're not overreacting to a Clippers team that might just need to regroup.