Reviewing Pelicans 2025 NBA Draft Class: Were Jeremiah Fears & Derik Queen the Right Picks?

New Orleans Pelicans rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears were recently named to the All-NBA Rookie Second Team. The dynamic duo completed their first NBA season, with most fans optimistic that they will be foundational building blocks for the future. Both had their up and downs to start their careers, as most rookies do, but the pair seems like they were the right choices for the Pelicans last season.

Queen’s selection by New Orleans was highly criticized because of the compensation the team gave up to acquire him. The Pelicans relinquished an unprotected first-round pick (which turned out to be the No. 8 pick) in the 2026 NBA Draft to move up to the 13th selection and grab the former Maryland star. Given that the team was coming off a year in which it won just 21 games, the move seemed absurd not to protect a future first-round pick.

Still, Queen proved his worth for much of the year, even though the ending wasn’t as glamorous as its beginning.

Congrats @jeremiahfears2 and @derikqueen1 💪 pic.twitter.com/bmsejE4MVt
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 20, 2026

Despite Inconsistent Rookie Campaigns, Jeremiah Fears & Derik Queen Were the Right Picks

The 6-foot-9 forward had an impressive December, averaging 15 points, 8.4 rebounds, and five assists per game. Offensively, Queen was a force, with his ball-handling and playmaking skills displayed on a high level for someone his size. However, the rookie struggled mightily on the defensive end, unable to be consistent in his coverage and communication defensively.

By season’s end, Queen was coming off the bench, with his playing time and production reduced significantly.

During his stellar month of December, the former first-round pick averaged 29 minutes per game. As April went on, those numbers dropped to 19 minutes per contest, with averages of 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Still, Queen was the only rookie to record multiple triple-doubles and was top-six amongst all rookies in points, rebounds, assists, and blocked shots. It was clear that the reduced playing time affected Queen later in the season, something his rookie teammate, Jeremiah Fears, handled better as the season progressed.

Fears was selected by the Pelicans with the seventh overall pick in last year’s draft at a position much needed for New Orleans. The team had traded veteran guard CJ McCollum that offseason, and guard Dejounte Murray was coming off an Achilles tendon tear, and the team knew he would miss the majority of the year.

Like Queen, Fears had a monster month early in the year, with his November numbers proving his high ceiling. The former Oklahoma star averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, while shooting nearly 40% from downtown. He also saw his playing time decrease later in the season with Murray's return to the lineup.

He remained consistent throughout, averaging 15.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds post All-Star. Fears played in all 82 games this year, setting the franchise record for points in a game by a rookie, and becoming the fourth-youngest player in NBA history with three straight 20+ point games.

Both players proved to be offensive forces, and their next step will be greater consistency on both ends.

Newly hired head coach Jamahl Mosley will help both players on that end. Mosley’s history of accountability and work ethic on a nightly basis will force the rookie pair to play harder on defense, something that will also benefit the team’s second-round pick, Micah Peavy, who already is a solid perimeter defender and can be a solid rotation piece with some more consistency with his shooting on the offensive end.

Back-to-back seasons with fewer than 30 wins don’t instill much hope into a fanbase that is desperate for consistent winning.

The Pelicans seem to have made the right decisions in last year’s draft, and those decisions should reap benefits once the players reach their full potential. New Orleans hopes that growth happens soon, so they can start to climb themselves out of the bottom of the Western Conference.

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