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Ohm Youngmisuk
Hours earlier than the largest begin of his life in opposition to Denver Nuggets celebrity Nikola Jokic, Derik Queen took a seat in a row of chairs between the New Orleans Pelicans‘ two follow courts following a latest morning shootaround.
The 20-year-old heart acts his age and has a kid-like pleasure. He has a smile crammed with braces and an endearing cartoonish chuckle that not even the Pelicans’ sinking season has spoiled.
“That is precisely what he’s — a child,” DeAndre Jordan, who gained a title with Jokic in 2023 and is now mentoring Queen in New Orleans, advised ESPN. “He nonetheless bought slightly child fats.”
Queen is the face of 1 half — together with No. 7 decide Jeremiah Fears — of the Pelicans’ future for which new govt vp of basketball operations Joe Dumars paid a steep worth.
On draft night time, the Pelicans chosen Fears, then traded the No. 23 decide and an unprotected 2026 first-round decide to the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 13 choice, the place they chosen Queen. It immediately turned some of the scrutinized draft trades in latest reminiscence.
“Everybody I talked to after the draft have been like, what the f— have been they doing?” one Western Convention govt stated of the Pelicans’ draft commerce. “… Queen clearly has some expertise and ability and will very nicely find yourself being an excellent participant. Possibly it seems that it isn’t that dangerous of a commerce if this child seems to be a participant.”
There are nights when Queen seems to be just like the steal of the draft, resembling when the 6-9 former Maryland star turned the primary rookie heart with a 30-point triple-double in NBA historical past on Monday in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs. However because the accidents and losses pile up — the newest intestine punch coming in yet one more weekslong damage to Zion Williamson, with New Orleans proudly owning the league’s worst file at 3-22 — the commerce for Queen seems to be even riskier.
The Pelicans won’t profit from what is anticipated to be a loaded draft on the prime subsequent summer season. Regardless, Dumars believes Queen and Fears will show him proper, despite the fact that a number of opposing basic managers say they’d have by no means traded an unprotected first-round decide.
“I get it. A lot of at this time’s NBA narrative is round picks and various things like that,” Dumars advised ESPN. “I am attempting to construct tradition right here with some actually good younger gamers, and I gave up some draft capital to do this.
“And I like the 2 younger gamers we now have. I hope that does not get misplaced in all of this.”
Queen hears what individuals are saying about him and the commerce that also surprises the NBA.
“I have been [hearing] all of it my life,” Queen stated. “Like everyone hated me [before the season started]. I performed slightly bit in the beginning, and the entire media was hating me. After which as soon as I bought to that Charlotte sport [and had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on Nov. 4], the entire media began liking me.
“[I’m used to] just about individuals not liking me at one second, then liking me in a while in life.”
SITTING INSIDE HIS workplace that appears out to the Pelicans’ follow courts, Dumars explains what he needs to construct in New Orleans. It is Nov. 19. The Pelicans are hours away from dropping to 2-13 in opposition to Denver.
5 days prior, he fired Willie Inexperienced after the crew had began 2-10. Dumars didn’t see the Pelicans establishing an identification or a sure model of play on the court docket.
“You are going to undergo some tough patches, and that is OK,” Dumars stated. “However you [want to] construct a company with actually dedicated individuals to being firstclass in how we do issues, carry ourselves and need to be considered across the league.
“And that is not an in a single day factor. You need to construct that.”
Since he joined the franchise on April 16, he is been lively in attempting to just do that. He employed Troy Weaver, former Pistons GM, as senior vp of basketball operations. After which in June, Dumars traded Indiana‘s 2026 first-round decide again to the Pacers for his or her 2025 first-round decide, which turned the No. 23 choice. Simply 5 days after the deal, Tyrese Haliburton tore an Achilles in Sport 7 of the NBA Finals. The Pacers have gained simply six video games this season, and that 2026 decide is wanting like a lottery choice.
Seven days after that commerce with Indiana, Dumars despatched CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-rounder to Washington for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the fortieth decide, which the crew used to draft Micah Peavy. Poole, although, has missed the previous 18 video games attributable to damage. Williamson is damage once more, and Dejounte Murray hasn’t returned from an Achilles damage but this season.
Dumars, the Corridor of Fame guard with the Unhealthy Boys Pistons, assembled championship chemistry because the president of basketball operations in Detroit with Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. However he additionally authored one of many all-time draft errors by taking historic bust Darko Milicic second over Carmelo Anthony within the 2003 draft.
Now he is taking a leap of religion as soon as once more on one other massive man.
“It is ironic how individuals solely bear in mind sure issues,” Dumars stated. “We went to the convention championship [six consecutive years].
“However it’s how society is, proper? I settle for that.”
Going into the draft armed with the No. 7 and No. 23 picks, Dumars stated he recognized the 2 gamers he wished most: Fears, the Oklahoma level guard who turned 19 in October, caught Dumars’ eye along with his expertise, pace and “maniacal” focus.
And Queen, who Dumars believes possesses attributes that may’t be taught, at a place that’s changing into extra versatile because of a participant resembling Jokic. Weaver additionally had loads of familiarity with the Maryland product via his sturdy connections to the realm, his function within the Wizards’ entrance workplace as a senior advisor final season and his son, Thomas, being a graduate assistant on Maryland’s teaching workers.
“We regarded on the lottery this yr and stated, ‘Wow, it would be nice if we may get each of these guys, and it might price us,’” Dumars stated. “However for those who actually consider they are often foundational items in your success long run, then we’ll do what we now have to do. It merely got here all the way down to we now have this guard that we actually, actually love and this younger massive that we actually, actually love. Let’s go for it.
“I do know we paid an enormous worth for it, but it surely’s not like we’re sad with what we bought. We like what we now have as foundational items for the long run right here.”
By the primary 25 video games, Fears and Queen have mixed to attain the fourth-most factors by any rookie duo previously 15 seasons, in line with Elias Sports activities Bureau.
“We’re solely 12 months 1 into this,” Fears advised ESPN. “We bought much more to go. However we going to proceed to indicate everyone we now have one thing particular in New Orleans.”
DOWN 20 TO San Antonio, Queen started a second half that capped a historic night time. Within the third quarter alone, Queen scored 21 factors, made all six of his pictures and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
He led a livid comeback by scoring a career-high 33 factors to go along with 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 blocks — the primary rookie to place up a line resembling that since blocks have been first recorded in 1973-74. Nonetheless, he missed what could be an open go-ahead 3 with 6.8 seconds left earlier than New Orleans misplaced to the Spurs 135-132.
Displaying his versatility by enjoying like some extent guard whereas appearing because the hub in half court docket on offense, Queen joined LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox as the one gamers in NBA historical past with a 30-point triple-double earlier than turning 21. He’s additionally the primary rookie to complete with 10 area objectives, 10 free throws, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a sport since Michael Jordan in 1985, in line with ESPN Analysis.
“I actually like him so much,” stated Golden State‘s Draymond Inexperienced — who took Queen apart to present him recommendations on positioning throughout a Warriors’ 124-106 win in New Orleans on Nov. 16. “He is nice with the ball. He is bought numerous strikes. He bought all of the shimmies, the posts and nice contact, can actually move. He will be actually good, and clearly nice dimension.”
In a duel in Dallas in opposition to former Montverde Academy teammate Cooper Flagg on Nov. 21, the Baltimore native showcased among the playmaking expertise and deft footwork he honed as a Tenth-grader in exercises with Anthony, a neighborhood legend.
With below 5 minutes remaining within the third quarter, he grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball upcourt. As Dallas level guard Brandon Williams stepped in entrance of him, the 6-9 Queen switched dribbling arms earlier than delivering a behind-the-back move to a streaking Trey Murphy III for a dunk.
“So good,” one head coach texted. “Queen is nice.”
One Western Convention assistant coach who has confronted the Pelicans twice this season stated Queen has already improved from the primary assembly when the rookie wasn’t even on his crew’s superior scouting report. Queen, who was inserted into the beginning lineup after Inexperienced’s firing, is averaging 12.9 factors, 6.4 rebounds and three.9 assists however is just capturing 2-for-18 from 3.
“He undoubtedly would not look the half,” the assistant coach stated. “However [he plays beyond his years] like an outdated soul on the market. He is aware of when to hurry up, when to decelerate. He has this intelligence of the sport. He tells guys the place to chop. He is throwing the ball over the place to shooters.
“He is a left-handed driver, and we advised our guys to not let him go left, and he bought left all night time, made massive pictures, not scared.”
Neither is Fears, who’s averaging 15.4 factors, 3.1 assists and 36.9% capturing from 3. He not too long ago turned the fourth youngest to ever rating 20 or extra factors in three straight video games behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Flagg.
“I like his fearlessness, his swagger, his strategy to the sport. His pace,” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego stated. “He belongs.”
Throughout his first begin in opposition to Jokic, Queen left an impression on the three-time MVP. Within the second quarter on Nov. 19, Queen had the ball on the prime of the important thing with Jokic sagging off him. Jokic shed a display to remain in entrance of Queen, however the rookie froze Jokic with a excessive dribble. Then he paused, earlier than driving previous the flat-footed Nuggets heart for a layup.
“I am slightly bit taller,” the 6-11 Jokic stated when requested if he can see any of himself in Queen. “However I feel that there’s that model. Gradual, artful. I can see it, yeah.”
It is simply certainly one of a number of misleading strikes that Queen used to complete with 30 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, two blocks and two steals in opposition to Jokic. He turned the primary heart to outscore the Nuggets celebrity in a sport this season.
“I undoubtedly see some flashes, for positive,” Jordan stated of Queen’s early similarities to Jokic. “He is such a younger expertise and the issues that he does is a point-center creating pictures and playmaking. So, you’ll be able to see it, however I do not need to put that strain on him so early in his profession.”
Because the Pelicans have gained simply as soon as of their previous 16 video games, Fears and Queen discuss typically about staying assured via the dropping and errors. Fears is aware of there’s vital strain on Queen to show he is well worth the decide despatched to Atlanta, one thing that might take years to validate.
“I do know it most likely weighs on his thoughts and on his shoulders so much,” Fears stated. “So long as he is aware of what he can carry to the desk and proves it each single time, there’s not likely a lot you’ll be able to say.
“He’ll proceed to show to Joe D, to show to everyone else that [Dumars] made the best determination.”
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