Pelicans Can't Ignore Derik Queen in the Final Stretch of the Season

The New Orleans Pelicans have been surging in recent weeks, going 9-6 in their last 15 games. A large part of this improvement has come on the backs of the veterans. The Pelicans got healthy, Dejounte Murray returned to court, and head coach James Borrego reduced the roles of the rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. As a result, the Pelicans started being more competitive than they have been all season.

While giving fans something to cheer for is positive for the franchise, it shouldn't come at the expense of the development of the young players, especially Queen.

In recent weeks, Borrego has been deploying a centerless starting lineup. The Dejounte Murray-Trey Murphy-Saddiq Bey-Zion Williamson-Herb Jones group has been playing very well together, leading Borrego to keep them on the floor for extended periods. This has caused Queen to be marginalized, resulting in a massive step back in his production.

Pelicans Have to Reconsider Their Derik Queen Approach Down the Stretch

Since being benched in the win against the Warriors on February 24, Queen has played over 25 minutes in a game just once, mostly because Zion Williamson ended up missing the game against the Clippers. Otherwise, the rookie played 20 minutes or less in seven of the ten games since. Over the last two games, the former Maryland star played a total of 26 minutes, the second-lowest minutes total in any two-game stretch for Queen this season.

This hasn't provided positive results for Queen individually. His usage rate has fallen to 20%, and his turnover rate and assist rate have pretty much been the same in the last ten games. His efficiency has taken a nosedive as he has a 47.1% True Shooting in that span.

Borrego's desire to hold the young players accountable deserves praise. Fears and Queen shouldn't get minutes just because they are rookies who need to play. At the same time, the current approach with Queen doesn't seem to be working. The Pelicans have to find a way to get him more involved offensively, even if he is playing limited minutes off the bench.

The Pelicans gave up a very valuable unprotected first-round pick to select Queen in the 2025 NBA Draft. There seemed to be an organizational understanding that the team was building around Queen going forward. Going from being the go-to guy at times during the season to being the ninth man in the rotation can't be easy for a 21-year-old rookie. The Pelicans can't lose sight of this fact.

The future of the franchise belongs to Queen, and they have to keep that in mind when they are making rotation decisions in the final 14 games of the season. Even if it gives them a lower chance to win games down the stretch, giving Queen a bigger opportunity will pay dividends in the long run.