Name: Troy Murphy
Position: PF
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 245 lbs.
Birth Date: May 2, 1980
Birthplace: Morristown, NJ
Number: 7
Drafted: 14th Pick of the 1st Round in 2001 by the Golden State Warriors
Experience: 9 years
Contract: $11,968,253
On Offense:
Troy Murphy has been a solid offensive power forward in his 9-year career, with an average of 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest. He has averaged double figures in scoring in 8 of his 9 seasons in the League (only season where he didn’t was his rookie year in 2001-02 when he averaged 5.9 ppg). One of the strongest parts of Murphy’s offensive game is his ability to shoot the ball despite being nearly 7 feet tall. He has a career three-point shooting percentage of nearly 40%, and shot an incredible 45% from distance in 2008-09 with the Pacers.
John Hollinger of ESPN ranks Murphy right in the middle of NBA power forwards in Player Efficiency Rating, with the Notre Dame product sitting at 15th last season. Aside from scoring, he has never really produced much offensively, averaging just 1.6 assists per game in his career. However he also does not turn over the ball much, and is a very reliable NBA power forward.
On Defense:
While Troy Murphy’s versatility on offense is tremendous for his height, his defense is probably not what it should be for a player of his size. He has never averaged more than 0.6 blocks per game and is far from what you would call an intimidating presence on the defensive end. Yet his defensive rebounding numbers have been steadily on the rise over the last few seasons. After averaging just 5.8 defensive rebounds per game in 2007-08, he has averaged 9.8 and 8.4 defensive boards per contest in the last two seasons. So while Murphy will not exactly be a standout on the defensive end for the Nets, he should be solid enough to compliment Brook Lopez, especially on the defensive glass.
Miscellaneous:
Troy Murphy is a bit of quirky character off the court. He became well known at Notre Dame for writing different sayings on his sneakers, most notably “Redrum” from the The Shining. He also has an interest in stand-up comedy and is officially licensed in spray tanning. And of course, he is a native of New Jersey.
Comment:
Although Courtney Lee had shown signs in his first two seasons that he was going to be a very good NBA player, I liked the trade for Troy Murphy the second it happened. Murphy is a true professional, who is a solid scoring power forward that can step out and hit the three with consistency. He will allow Derrick Favors to develop and not be thrust into a starting role too early. The contract implications are also not debilitating to the franchise, as Murphy is only signed through the 2010-11 season. Naturally his strained back during the preseason is a concern, but if Troy Murphy is able to stay healthy, I like what he’ll bring to this team.
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