One-on-one with Indiana Pacers guard Trevelin Queen
Trevelin Queen joined the Indiana Pacers later than his teammates this season. He started off training camp in Philadelphia with the 76ers, but was cut with a few weeks to go before the season.
Indiana scooped up Queen on a two-way deal, and he has been making his mark with the blue and gold this year. In seven games with the NBA group, Queen has averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
In the G League, though, Queen has shined. Across 23 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the 2022 G League MVP is averaging 23.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He has been excellent on offense for the second straight season, and he was invited to the G League Next Up Game at NBA All-Star weekend for his efforts.
"He was around all the time, getting extra shots up. He would be in the gym by himself when I was there late at night, getting shots up," Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, who coached Queen in 2021-22, said of the 25-year old.
Due to numerous injuries and general team struggles, Queen spent an extended amount of time with the Pacers during mid-to-late January, and he appeared in five games during that period. In a game in Oklahoma City during that span, Queen finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, marking his best game of the season.
Six days later, just before Queen was a part of the Pacers rotation in a win over the Chicago Bulls, he sat down for a short chat with AllPacers about his season so far, his play recently, and more.
AllPacers: You've gotten some time in these last couple games on this road trip. What did all that mean for you and how do you feel like you did fitting in there?
Trevelin Queen: Just showing that you never know when your opportunity is going to come, so just being ready and present no matter what. Be ready for your name to be called. And I feel like I was ready for those few games I got into that mix in. Just, life of a two-way. Like I say all the time, you've just gotta be ready to go. You never know when your name is going to be called or anything.
AllPacers: Did it come out of nowhere? When did you find out that you would be coming up for the trip?
Trevelin Queen: You never know. Milwaukee, day of. The night of, you just never know. It's like frantic packing, just being ready to go. That's it.
AllPacers: You had your best game of the season on that trip. Do you feel like you've found a groove right now, or a better spot on this team? Or did something just click? Or was it a Trevelin Queen game?
Trevelin Queen: It was just basketball at the end of the day. Whether it was my game, my best game, my worst game, at the end of the day it's just basketball. So I just take every game as if it is my last game. So I just go in there with the mindset [to] just be the best version of myself and help my teammates.
AllPacers: Where do you feel like you've grown the most from game one with this team to now?
Trevelin Queen: Just accepting my role, accepting what coach Rick [Carlisle] wants me to do. Just being a great teammate, and just being more vocal even though I might not have that type of respect on this team as certain players do. But just being vocal and bringing energy to the team.
AllPacers: What do you feel like this team needs to get over the hump? They were close in Phoenix to finally get through this losing streak.
Trevelin Queen: We've just got to come be more together and be more scrappy. We know we're not the biggest, best, fastest team in the league. But we definitely can be the hardest playing team in the league. That's something we can control.
AllPacers: [Have] any vets been really helpful for you this season? This week?
Trevelin Queen: My guy James Johnson. He's a vet to everybody on this team, but specifically to me, just the type of player I am. I'm tough-nosed, hard-headed sometimes, just relatable to him.
Queen and Mad Ants teammate Gabe York will participate in the G League Next Up Game later today at 3 pm Eastern Time.
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