Trey Murphy picks SGA as his toughest cover in the NBA: "He was backpedaling and going forward at the same time"

Despite playing in only three seasons in the NBA so far, New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III has gained a lot of confidence in his ability to score the ball and defend the opposing team's best perimeter players. A 6-foot-8 small forward who played his college basketball at Virginia, Trey has long arms, terrific defensive instincts, and athleticism, allowing him to keep in step with the league's elite scorers.

However, the native of Durham, North Carolina, revealed that one player always causes him headaches whenever he plays against him: Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous Alexander .

Unorthodox moves

There are plenty of players in the NBA who utilize either their quickness, strength, or athleticism to score buckets consistently. However, there are only a few guys who rely on their mastery of pace and footwork to leave defenders in their wake. One of those players is SGA.

The 6-foot-6 guard has made a name for himself with his unorthodox moves and deceptive hesitation dribbles that have left even the best defenders guessing. It's no surprise that Trey, known for his defensive prowess, finds it challenging to contain Shai on the court.

"I would say the guy that I probably struggled with a lot earlier on was probably Shai. A lot of guys have a cadence, a rhythm, and a timing that they play with. He, I don't know what his timing is. Like, you literally don't know. He just moves so differently and unorthodox. So, I would say he was probably up there," Trey shared on Paul George's podcast.

SGA's game has certainly grown by leaps and bounds ever since he was picked 11th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2018 NBA Draft. After a solid rookie season, he headlined the trade package the Clippers sent to the Thunder in exchange for All-Star wingman Paul George. The last two seasons have seen the Canadian guard at his best, averaging 30.7 games per game and earning two All-NBA First-Team berths.

He was also the runner-up in the race for the Most Valuable Player award this past season, losing by a close margin to the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic.

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Did a little better defending SGA in the NBA Playoffs

NBA Playoff games are very different from the regular season contests in that there's more intense focus and defensive pressure. Every team knows every single play the opposing team will run, thus putting an emphasis on execution and, at times, individual brilliance. According to Murphy, he fared well in Game 1, helping to keep Shai to only 28 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Game 2, though, was a different story, as the former Kentucky Wildcat dug deep into his bag of tricks and showed off a move Trey had never seen before.

"In Game 2, he was probably like 5-for-5 on me, didn't miss one, and he was backpedaling and going forward at the same time. And then they showed it on film. I'm like, 'Did y'all even see what he did? Do you really think you could have guarded that?' That's crazy. He got some moves," Trey relayed. "Trust me, I don't know how to explain it, but if you see it on film, you're like, 'Okay, he backpedaled and went forward.'"

Such is SGA's sheer offensive brilliance. Despite his slight frame and lack of nuclear athleticism, he's able to seek out small openings in the opposing team's defense and exploit them with ease. His footwork is impeccable, his ball-handling skills are top-notch, and he has a natural feel for the game that can't be taught.

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