Pelicans' Rookie Duo Quickly Becoming Must-See TV

New Orleans Pelicans rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are a bright spot amidst a dreadful start.

Nov 19, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) brings the ball up court against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Despite a horrendous start to the season for the New Orleans Pelicans, a definite silver lining has emerged: their two rookies. The duo of point guard Jeremiah Fears and forward Derik Queen is not just providing flashes of potential—they are already showing they can be the foundational building blocks for the franchise's future, making the Pelicans a fun team to watch night in and night out.

Both players had high expectations coming into the season, but for different reasons. Fears was the No. 7 overall pick in this year's draft, the first for the newly appointed head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars. The 19-year-old Fears was highly touted coming from Oklahoma, with ESPN TV star Stephen A. Smith referring to Fears as "the second coming of Kyrie Irving."

Nov 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Many wondered about Fears' development with the crowded backcourt in New Orleans. Dejounte Murray tore his ACL last season, but had been working hard in the offseason to return to the court. The Pelicans acquired dynamic scorer Jordan Poole in a trade with the Washington Wizards that sent veteran sharpshooter CJ McCollum to the nation's capital.

Murray has yet to suit up this season, and Poole injured his quad just seven games into the year, sidelining him since the middle of November. The opportunity presented itself for Fears to showcase his skill set, and the dynamic guard has more than taken advantage of it. Fears is averaging nearly 16 points per game after scoring in double figures in 12 straight games. His knock coming into the league was his poor three-point shooting in college, but the 6-foot-4 guard is shooting 36% from beyond the arc this year.

Fears' ability to get in the paint at will on either isolation plays or off pick-and-roll action constantly puts the defense on its heels, but his improvement as a shooter is making him nearly impossible to defend one-on-one. He has risen to No. 3 in the latest KIA NBA rookie ladder standings.

rookie to rookie!!!! pic.twitter.com/vdodkqTkaR

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 3, 2025

While Fears' expectation was set because of his high draft position, his fellow rookie teammate Derik Queen was given a target on his back for his acquisition on draft night. In a somewhat unprecedented move, the Pelicans moved up to No. 13 during the draft, parting ways not only with the No. 23 pick but also an unprotected first-round pick in next year's draft. That's a steep price to pay for a team that only won 21 games a season ago.

Regardless of the outside discourse revolving around the draft night move, Queen's play on the court has justified why the Pelicans thought so highly of the former Maryland standout. Queen led the team in assists in November with 36, showcasing his ball-handling and vision skills, as he often initiated the offense. The rookie forward was also starting to build a solid rapport with star Zion Williamson before his injury.

Per Cleaning the Glass, the Pelicans are a +13.6 per 100 possessions when both Queen and Williamson were on the floor together. Queens' ability to see the floor, while also scoring in his herky-jerky nature, is making his opponents quickly take notice. Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert had high praise for the rookie after Tuesday night's overtime battle.

I asked Wolves Center Rudy Gobert his thoughts on #Pelicans rookie Derik Queen after their battle tonight. High praise was given from the 4x Defensive Player of the Year @PelicansOnSI pic.twitter.com/jSevn9Mmrv

— Terry Kimble (@TK_Nola) December 3, 2025

The 20-year-old expects to receive even more praise if his play continues to improve the way it has. Both he and Fears are the future of this team and look to become household names with their continued excellence on the court. The Pelicans' record may be bad, but these rookies are showing what good looks like.