In his first public remarks about Erik Murphy on the night of the 2013 NBA Draft, Bulls General Manager Gar Forman wasted little time in using a label that could stick with the team’s second round pick throughout his career: stretch four. Murphy’s size and ability to score from the perimeter are what made him an enticing option for the Bulls, who added two other shooters this offseason with the first round selection of Tony Snell and the signing of free agent forward Mike Dunleavy, Jr. later in the summer. In the case of Murphy, though, it helps to better understand what an NBA stretch four is supposed to do. So who better to ask than Murphy himself? “It’s a big guy who can stretch the floor and spread out the defense,” Murphy explained following a workout at the Berto Center last week. “You have to be capable of shooting the ball and making plays away from the basket. “Obviously, Derrick is a great point guard and he will use all the space he can get,” Murphy continued. “So if you have a big guy who can spread the floor and space out the defense, it’s a big plus for a player like him.” At 6-10, 230-pounds, Murphy has the size – especially as he adds weight and strength – to play in the post like a traditional power forward. If and when he makes his mark on the game, however, it will likely be on the perimeter with his distinguishing ability to hit the three-pointer. Read more http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/murphy-looking-stretch-floor-chicago.html
Erik could fill a nice role if he uses Gibson and Noah as defensive role models and he has to be blindfolded whenever Booze is on the D end of the floor. Thibs might have to work Murphy over with a cattle prod to give him a mean streak. Nice shooter though and we could use the scoring up front.
I wonder if Murphy could be our backup C. He's listed at 6'10", 238 lbs. Maybe a little on the thin side at first glance, but he's heavier than Noah and only an inch shorter. He's almost certainly not going to be the offensive rebounder Noah is, but his ability to bring opposing teams' C's to the 3pt line to make room for Rose and others in the lane seems like a good thing. And Noah is (not almost) certainly never going to be the 3pt shooter or maybe scorer that Murphy could be.
Wingspan, wingspan, wingspan. Murphy runs 6'9.5", 6'10.5". Blake Griffin who looks awfully small to me for playing small forward runs 6'10", 6'11.25". And Blake Griffin can move like a small forward. I think Murphy's being set up to fail by articles like this. He'll probably have a nice career as a niche player in very specific circumstances. I'd be shocked if he played over ten minutes a game.
Eh . . . I think the hope is he's going to be better than Radmonovic. Basically a stretch shooter to knock people out of zones . . .
I think Aaron Gray might be a FA. He was good enough to start a bunch of games for us. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Who sits when Murphy plays?
I'm probably looking forward to Erick's rookie season more than most. Not because I think he'll amount to anything more than a stretch four, but because I think an effective stretch four could really do useful things to our offense. I feel safe making the following conclusions about Erick Murphy: 1). He's a dead eye shooter when he can get his feet set and has space 2). He's a smart, fundamentally sound player, even if he lacks the physical skills to create his own offense. #1 means he'll be very effective in his role playing next to Derrick Rose. #2 means that, despite his limitations, he won't shoot himself in the foot and play within the team. #1 means a lot because I really think a dead-eye stretch four will help Derrick a lot. It's one less guy standing in the paint waiting to clobber him. It'll also mean that he should have enough space to get his shot off. Remember, Vlad was the first guy we signed last offseason...........why? I'm guessing because a big that can stretch the four is a high priority for the Bulls.
I remember him as a Rashard Lewis type tweener who split time between small forward and power forward.
If Murphy can halfway guard a center, we can play him at center some of the time. Remember, the opposing center will have to guard him on the offensive side of things as well. He can't let Murphy shoot from outside all of the time. This opens the floor for Rose, and to a lesser extent, Teague. That being said, I am talking about third string center, not a starter, and most nights not the first center off of the bench.
