Jeremiah Fears Is Outpacing Expectations-and Giving the Pelicans a Bright Spot in a Tough Season
The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t exactly win the offseason headlines. Their 2025 NBA Draft strategy was met with skepticism, especially after they traded away their 2026 first-round pick and doubled down on two raw prospects in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen-neither known for their shooting.
Critics questioned the logic. Fans questioned the direction.
And now, at 3-19 through 22 games, the team’s record hasn’t done much to silence the noise.
But here’s the thing: Jeremiah Fears is already changing the narrative.
Through the first quarter of his rookie season, Fears has emerged as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise rocky start for New Orleans. Averaging 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on 44.9% shooting from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc, Fears isn’t just surviving-he’s thriving.
And that’s no small feat for a rookie point guard.
The college-to-NBA leap is notoriously tough on young floor generals, especially for undersized guards like Fears, who’s listed at 6'3", 190 pounds. The game gets faster.
The defenders get longer. The windows get tighter.
Even guys like Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, and Darius Garland-now established names-took their lumps early on. It’s a position that demands poise, vision, and the ability to read the game at warp speed.
Yet, through 21 games, Fears has looked remarkably composed. Yes, there have been a few off nights-matchups against the Celtics, Thunder, Suns, and most recently the Warriors exposed some growing pains-but in the majority of his outings, he’s looked like he belongs.
And not just in a “solid rookie” kind of way. He’s looked like a future starting point guard.
What’s fueling this smooth transition? It starts with his shooting.
Coming out of Oklahoma, Fears was known for his explosive first step and ability to attack the rim. That burst is still a core part of his game, but what’s made him especially dangerous early on is how much his perimeter shot has improved.
In college, he shot just 28.4% from three-a glaring weakness that made some scouts question his long-term upside. But in the NBA?
He’s flipped the script.
Fears is now hitting 36.4% from deep on 3.5 attempts per game, nearly matching his college volume (3.9 attempts per game) but with significantly better results. That’s not just a marginal improvement-it’s a complete rewrite of the scouting report.
Opposing defenses can no longer sag off and dare him to shoot. They have to respect him at all three levels, and that’s opened up the floor for his downhill game.
This kind of leap as a shooter doesn’t happen by accident. It speaks to Fears’ work ethic, his willingness to adapt, and his understanding of what it takes to succeed at the next level. He’s not just playing with confidence-he’s playing with purpose.
Now, let’s be clear: Fears isn’t a finished product. He’s still learning how to run an NBA offense, still figuring out how to navigate elite defenses, and still developing as a playmaker.
But the foundation is there. The talent is obvious.
And the growth curve is trending in the right direction.
For a Pelicans team searching for answers, that matters. A lot.
This season may not be about wins and losses for New Orleans-it’s about development, identity, and laying the groundwork for the future. And in Jeremiah Fears, they’ve found a cornerstone worth building around. He’s ahead of schedule, rewriting expectations, and proving that sometimes, the best picks are the ones that make you pause at first.
The Pelicans may be struggling in the standings, but in Fears, they’ve found something real. Something promising. Something legit.