Derik Queen’s preseason left the New Orleans Pelicans with more questions than answers, even as he did the one thing that has always stood out: rebound.
Across four games, Queen averaged a team-best 8.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes. For a roster that could use every extra possession it can grab, that was a meaningful positive. But everything beyond the glass was far messier, and it made his fit in Jamahl Mosley’s system harder to pin down.
Queen put up 5.8 points per game on 33.3% shooting, along with nine assists and nine turnovers. For a big man whose playmaking is supposed to be one of his calling cards, that turnover total blunts the value of those passes. A possession that ends in a live-ball mistake doesn’t help much, no matter how promising the vision looked a second earlier.
The outside shot didn’t offer much encouragement either. Queen hit one of four tries from three, a small sample that doesn’t settle anything, but also didn’t suggest defenders have to treat him differently yet.
That uneven preseason came on the heels of a rookie year that showed both why the Pelicans believe in him and why there are still lingering concerns. Queen finished with averages of 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, good enough to earn Second Team All-Rookie honors.
His touch and passing gave New Orleans a glimpse of what he could become. At the same time, the questions never really went away about his defense, his spacing, and how he fits when the offense runs through someone else.
Jeremiah Fears’ rise only makes Queen’s path look more complicated.
Fears had his own rookie struggles, but his preseason was steadier. He led the Pelicans with 13.3 points per game and shot 50% from the field and from three-point range. Even more important, he looked increasingly comfortable steering the offense, which strengthened his case as a pillar moving forward.
Queen’s role is much less defined. Mosley never started him in the preseason, a clear sign that draft position doesn’t buy guaranteed minutes or a fixed role in New Orleans.
That doesn’t mean Queen has to become the same kind of player as Fears. It means his game has to mesh with him.
With Fears handling the ball and Zion Williamson operating inside, Queen has to be effective without needing the offense to run through him. He needs to set real screens, slip at the right moments, finish at the rim, and make fast decisions.
His passing still matters, especially once he creates an advantage. But first he has to do the work that creates it.
That’s the adjustment in front of him now: broadening his impact while relying less on the touches that showcase his best skills.
The defensive side brings another challenge. Mosley’s move to New Orleans asks Queen to handle a role that doesn’t neatly match the mobility, athleticism, and versatility he had available with Orlando’s frontcourts. That puts more weight on positioning, anticipation, and communication, especially when the play breaks down.
Rebounding gives him a place to start. It doesn’t answer whether the Pelicans can trust his offense and defense together in the same lineup.
Of the team’s regulars, Queen may have one of the longest adjustment periods ahead. Four preseason games won’t decide his future, but they did underline how much is still unresolved.
Fears is making his role easier to see. Queen still has to prove that his can become more than a mix of promise and inconsistency.
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