The New Orleans Pelican drafted two extremely talented players in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Jeremiah’s Fear and Derik Queen were selected seventh and 13th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans, respectively.
Queen represented Maryland and played for Oklahoma in college. Both had a huge impact on the team.
The Pelicans have a talented roster, which makes it difficult for these two rookies to find time in court, but they stand for the challenge.
Their first step is to make their own name in the summer league, and according to coach Corey Brewer, they are on the right track.
Brewer coached the Pelican Summer League campaign and he has already seen great things from both his rookies.
He especially praised the speed of fear towards the court, noting that it didn’t make him special.
Speaking to the media about the talented newcomer, Brewer said: “Jeremiah is fast. He will go up and down the court really quickly and he will be a good player. A great young man.”
Brewer also reserved the praise of the 13th place Queen.
“Derrick can really play with it, I love both of those guys.”
“They are learning to play with each other and play together. It helps both of them,” he added.
Fear also spoke about his fellow rookie teammate Queen about his recent interview during the shootaround.
He said: “Super skill, very skilled. High IQ. We expect him to spend a big time and I’m going to keep pushing him and keep motivating him.”
The Pelicans have been unlucky with injuries in recent years, which is what prevented them from causing a fuss in the playoffs.
Their franchise star Zion Williamson hasn’t featured in more than 70 games in five seasons since joining the league, but co-star Dejounte Murray also struggled to find fitness from last season.
They had no depth to address these issues, but the arrival of two rookie senses allowed the terror and the Queen to solve this problem with the Pelican.
Both have successfully scored the ball, averaging over 15 points per game in college.
The terrifying pace and handling of the ball have already won praise from many people around the league.
Meanwhile, Queen’s ability in paint and clutch situations helps to become a great frontcourt option alongside Williamson.
The team brought in players like Jordan Pool and Kevon Rooney. Adding them certainly helps rookies learn important things about the game.
If things don’t go well and the rookie delivers the stars and works out, the Pelican could be a team to see West.