The New Orleans Pelicans are in the early stages of molding a young point guard with promise, and they’ve got a familiar blueprint in mind. Rookie Jeremiah Fears, just 19 years old, is being guided by interim head coach James Borrego, who’s drawing from experience coaching two very different but equally electric floor generals: Tony Parker and LaMelo Ball.
Borrego isn’t throwing out comparisons lightly. He’s coached both Parker in San Antonio and Ball in Charlotte, and in Fears, he sees flashes of both. But this isn’t about forcing the rookie into someone else’s mold - it’s about helping him navigate the steep learning curve that comes with running an NBA offense, especially at such a young age.
“We’ve talked about it, (Fears) and I,” Borrego said. “All three are natural scorers.
That’s what makes them special. Parker had it.
LaMelo had it. Jeremiah’s got it too - that instinct to attack, to get downhill, to make plays.”
That instinct can be both a weapon and a challenge. For a young point guard, the game moves fast, and the balance between playing to your strengths and orchestrating a system built around veteran stars is a tightrope act.
Parker had to learn it. Ball had to learn it.
Now it’s Fears’ turn.
Borrego knows firsthand that growth doesn’t happen overnight. He remembers the early days with Parker - the benchings, the tough love from Gregg Popovich, the constant push to take command of the offense.
And with Ball, there were similar moments of friction and learning. Now, he’s applying those lessons to Fears’ development.
“There’s a balance between finding your own game and playing within a five-man unit,” Borrego explained. “That’s not easy for a rookie.
LaMelo struggled with it at times. We had to work through that.
It just takes time.”
The Pelicans are willing to be patient because they see the right things behind the scenes. Fears may still be figuring out when to push the tempo, when to dish, and when to let the game come to him - but his work ethic is turning heads.
“Jeremiah’s been great,” Borrego said. “He wants to be great.
He works harder than anyone in that building. That’s why he’s going to get there.
He’s got the talent, the swagger, the confidence - all of it. But there’s a learning curve, especially at point guard.
You’re managing the game, managing a team, and still trying to be yourself as a player. That’s a lot to carry when you’re 19 years old.
This kid could be a college freshman right now.”
Borrego sees the humility and hunger that make coaching Fears a rewarding process. He’s not trying to skip steps.
He’s absorbing everything. And that matters - because for all the natural ability, it’s the willingness to learn that separates good players from great ones.
“I saw Tony evolve into that role,” Borrego said. “It took a couple of years.
Pop was on him every single day, every game. He didn’t always finish games.
Sometimes he came out of the lineup. That’s just part of the growth.
With LaMelo, it was the same thing - talking about game management, reading situations. I loved that process with him.
And now, we’re in that process with Jeremiah.”
Borrego isn’t asking Fears to be Parker or Ball. But he sees the roadmap - and more importantly, he sees a young player willing to follow it. That’s what gives the Pelicans confidence that they’re building something real with Fears at the helm.
“Nothing different,” Borrego said. “He’s a wonderful kid.
He’s a sponge. He wants to get better.
He wants to be great.”
And if he keeps working the way he has, the Pelicans believe he’ll get there - not by chasing someone else’s legacy, but by building his own.