Jeremiah Fears is starting to look like the kind of young guard who forces the league to pay attention fast.
The New Orleans Pelicans are still sorting themselves out early in the season, but Fears has made a strong case for the starting lead guard job. With the way he’s producing and the way other NBA coaches are talking about him publicly, the 20-year-old is beginning to sound like a real Most Improved Player candidate.
Over the past two games, with Dejounte Murray out for personal reasons after the birth of his child, Fears has piled up 21 points, 10 assists, 6.5 rebounds, two blocks and 1.5 steals per game. That run has helped the Pelicans rebound from a 0-4 start, even as Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets survived a pair of close calls to take two wins over New Orleans.
The numbers have been loud enough to get attention, but the performances have been even louder.
Against the Sacramento Kings, Fears torched the visiting group for 22 points, a career-high 13 assists, eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a 132-120 Pelicans win. Then he came right back two nights later and carved up the Atlanta Hawks for 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, seven assists and five rebounds in a 121-99 Halloween victory.
That’s 42 points, 20 assists and two wins in less than 72 hours from a guard who is still figuring out the balance between scoring and steering the offense.
“Yeah, Fears is legit. I mean, he is a very exciting young player,” Adelman said.
“We saw that last year. I'm sure for him, with guys coming back and being healthy, there is that balancing act.
Last year, the ball was in his hands all the time, and now he is sharing it more. So for all of the young guys in our league, every year is its own thing, its own chapter, but he is very exciting to watch.”
Doug Christie got a firsthand look at the problem. Fears put up the big line against Sacramento, and Christie didn’t hide what he saw.
“Jeremiah Fears, great young player. Extremely fast.
When we played against them last year, I was very impressed with the things he did and the poise that he showed in some of those games,” Christie noted. “We've got to make sure we are corralling him.”
That’s the challenge now: trying to keep Fears from taking over a game. Right now, that looks harder by the night, and the Pelicans are embracing it.
Mosley’s emphasis moving forward is defense, and that part of Fears’ growth will matter as the season goes on. But if he keeps producing like this, the path to serious MIP buzz is easy to see. He’s already gone from rotational piece to indispensable starter, and if he keeps helping New Orleans stack wins, voters will have a hard time looking away.
If this keeps going, even Team USA may want a conversation after the 2028 Olympics.
In Other News...
Pelicans Finally Found A Lineup That Changes The Conversation
The Pelicans have spent much of the season searching for a combination that could steady the rotation and change the tone around the team, and Thursdays win over Atlanta offered a convincing case that they may have found one. New Orleans rolled past the Hawks 121-99 for its second straight victory, with Saddiq Bey providing a major spark off the bench and the group around him looking far more connected than it has at other points this year.
Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic gave the game a different shape from the start, as the starting unit all finished on the positive side of the ledger. Dejounte Murray sat out for rest, but the Pelicans did not need him to control the night, which is exactly the kind of development that can make a coach rethink how the pieces fit once the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Are Finding Answers As Murray's Absence Tests The Rotation
Jamahl Mosley has been forced to juggle the rotation a little earlier than expected, with Dejounte Murray away for the birth of his son and Jordan Poole dealing with an ankle injury. The Pelicans responded by leaning on their depth, and Herbert Jones stepped into the starting lineup while Jeremiah Fears kept showing he can handle a bigger load when the opportunity comes.
The results have given New Orleans something to build on, with consecutive wins and a bench that has looked increasingly comfortable in expanded roles. Mosley has liked the effort and energy his group has brought through the adjustment period, and Murray was around for the second game even though he did not play as the team chose to keep him on the sideline a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Face A Bigger Jordan Poole Concern
The Pelicans head into their matchup with the Hawks already juggling a long injury list, and the latest concern is the absence of Jordan Poole. New Orleans is dealing with several players listed as questionable or out, while Atlanta comes in with multiple doubtful or unavailable names of its own, even as all of its starters are expected to be ready.
Pooles situation adds another layer of uncertainty for a team trying to steady itself through the early grind. He is sidelined with an ankle issue, and the bigger problem for New Orleans is the lack of clarity around when he might be back, leaving the Pelicans to manage both the game in front of them and a rotation hole that could linger. [Read more 🡒]