Pelicans' Jeremiah Fears Continues Improved Play in Third Preseason Game

Pelicans Rookie Jeremiah Fears has continued to improve as the preseason goes on. The 7th overall pick had his best outing yet against the Houston Rockets.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jeremiah Fears stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the seventh pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears had an up-and-down start to his career. In his first preseason game against Melbourne United, the guard shot 3-15 and turned the ball over five times, but then bounced back against South East Melbourne, scoring 12 points and dishing out three assists. 

The Pelicans had 10 days off after their first two contests in Melbourne and the time between games bode well for Fears. 

In his first game against an NBA team, Fears faced the Rockets' defense and finished with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists on 63 true shooting. The rookie looked most comfortable as a scorer and initiator when he played with pace. Fears is lightning quick, which can sometimes lead to playing too fast and speeding up his internal clock, but he was much more poised than in his first two preseason games. 

2025 #7 overall pick Jeremiah Fears did a little bit of everything for the Pels tonight:

20 PTS I 6 REB I 4 AST I 2 STL I 2 3PM pic.twitter.com/QqLl94SKrz

— NBA (@NBA) October 15, 2025

The seventh overall pick probed in the pick-and-roll, keeping defenders on his hip and got to his spots in the mid-range or non-rim twos. It’s a space where he’s shown to be comfortable. During his time at Oklahoma, he shot 46.9 percent on non-rim two-pointers. Against Houston, he shot 6/9 from two and got to the foul line twice. 

Fears made solid reads to get his teammates opportunities to score, but he also had a few careless turnovers. He got caught in the air multiple times and tried to fit passes into tight windows. Turnovers have been an issue for Fears, but it’s a common theme with young guards handling high usage and trying to transition to the NBA. 

Defensively, it was a mixed bag. The rookie made a few nice plays off the ball, deflecting a few passes that led to transition opportunities, and grabbed a few rebounds to end possessions, but he also got beaten by Houston guard Reed Sheppard a few times and fell asleep off the ball on multiple occasions. 

Fear's performance was encouraging after some inconsistency in his first few preseason games. The lottery pick’s flashes of playmaking and shot-creation are why the Pelicans felt comfortable spending a premium asset on the 19-year-old. Expect him to continue to be inconsistent but show flashes of potential in his rookie season for a team desperate for something to go right.