Derik Queen's Brilliance Shouldn't Overshadow Jeremiah Fears' Impressive Rookie Campaign

Jeremiah Fears' impressive rookie campaign isn't getting enough love.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Derik Queen has understandably stolen all the headlines in New Orleans through the first two months of the season. He has become an instant fan favorite with his play style reminiscent of Nikola Jokic, showcasing impressive footwork, dishing dimes all over the floor, and beasting defenders off the dribble and in the post. With a couple of monster games, including a 30-point triple-double last week, Queen has quickly emerged as a candidate for the Rookie of the Year race.

His breakout campaign, however, shouldn't take away from what his fellow lottery pick, Jeremiah Fears, has been doing in New Orleans. Starting his rookie campaign before he even turned 19, Fears has been learning the challenges of being a starting point guard in the NBA on the job. Thrown into the fire right away, Fears already has a huge offensive role. While he understandably struggles with efficiency, the Chicago native has more than held his own.

Jeremiah Fears Is Off to a Very Promising Start

Being a lead offensive engine and decision-maker in the NBA is a difficult job. Fears' usage rate of 25.6% is second among all rookies behind the Spurs' Dylan Harper. Despite this unexpectedly high usage, Fears has been effective. He regularly beats defenders one-on-one and gets to the rim at will. He takes 44% of his shots at the rim, one of the highest marks in the league among guards. He also doesn't shy away from contact, getting to the free-throw line for 3.4 attempts per game. Per NBA.com data, he averages almost 13 drives per game, more than notable rim attackers like Paolo Banchero, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Edwards, despite playing fewer minutes than all of them.

Fears is a relentless attacker. Thanks to his elite handles and a wide array of herky-jerky dribble moves, Fears is difficult to stop in isolation. He plays with pace and intentionality, allowing him to catch defenders off guard.

What Fears has to do next is to combine these penetration skills with more tricks to get fouled and finish around the rim. Once he gets stronger and adjusts to the NBA length, Fears should be an improved finisher inside the paint. His shot already looks better than advertised, and if he keeps hitting the mid-range more consistently, he will be a better all-around offensive player. Passing out of the pick-and-roll and shooting threes off-the-dribble will be the swing skills between Fears and being an elite point guard.

Fears is averaging 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals on 44.8/36.4/80.2 shooting splits in 27.6 minutes per game so far. This stat line is almost certainly better than what any Pelicans fans had in mind for their seventh-overall pick in his rookie season. There are plenty of steps Fears needs to take forward, but he is off to an excellent start, and he deserves more praise than he has been getting so far.