Report: New Orleans Pelicans on the verge of getting help with sharpshooter's return

Murphy broke out last season, his second in the NBA, shooting 40.6 percent from three and averaging 14.5 points per game. His presence might give New Orleans its full repertoire of players for the first time this season. 

Guard C.J. McCollum returned on Wednesday after a collapsed lung sidelined him for 12 games. Jose Alvarado missed the first 13 games of the season before making his season debut on Nov. 20.

Brandon Ingram also missed three games earlier this season due to a knee injury. Zion Williamson has been fully healthy, only missing three games on the second night of a back-to-back and another due to the birth of his child.

As they showed early last season, the Pelicans can be one of the most dangerous teams in the league when fully healthy. They were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference from Dec. 7-12 and a top-four seed until Jan. 28.

Their nosedive began when Williamson suffered a season-ending hamstring injury on Jan. 2. This year, New Orleans (10-9, eighth in Western Conference) has gotten off to a slow start because of its limited depth due to injuries. The 6-foot-8 Murphy is a lengthy defender who averaged 1.1 steals per game last season and also provides the Pels with excellent outside shooting on offense.

The Pelicans rank 18th in three-point shooting (35.5 percent) and 25th in makes (11). Murphy gives New Orleans three players with a green light from deep. McCollum is 37.9 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 3.1 threes per game. Rookie Jordan Hawkins averages 2.8 threes per game, shooting 37.1 percent from deep.

Defenders must account for Murphy, making Williamson's drives much harder to defend. Per tracking data from Second Spectrum, Williamson averages 17.3 drives per game, the fifth-most in the NBA. 

Commit too many defenders to him, and he can pass to Murphy for a three, just as he found McCollum midway through the first quarter of the Pelicans' 124-114 win over the Sixers on Wednesday night.

 Try to guard Williamson one-on-one, and he will feast in the paint.

New Orleans has had terrible luck with injuries, but its fortune might be turning, That should be a scary thought for the rest of the NBA.