The New Orleans Pelicans left preseason with a 3-1 record, but the biggest development wasn’t the win-loss mark. It was Jeremiah Fears, who suddenly turned a short stretch of games into a real lineup problem for Willie Mosley.
Fears, now in his second year, looked every bit like a player ready to claim a bigger role. His swagger, speed, skill, and the way the Pelicans could operate on both ends with him on the floor gave New Orleans exactly the kind of look Mosley seemed to want: forcing turnovers and pushing the pace.
Once Dejounte Murray went down with a toe injury after one preseason game, Fears got his chance and made the most of it. That’s why plenty of fans now believe the Pelicans can’t take that starting job away from him.
But the cleanest basketball answer may not be the real-world answer. Murray is the veteran.
He’s on a $30-plus million contract. In pro sports, that usually means something, and it makes a straight benching feel unlikely.
At the same time, that reality has only fueled more chatter among fans that maybe the Murray experiment should end with a trade.
For now, though, that doesn’t look workable. With the season set to begin in a day, moving Murray would be far too disruptive and would likely wreck whatever chemistry the team built during preseason. So the question is what Mosley does if Murray is available.
There’s no easy path here. Even someone who has long defended Murray can see why this has become so messy.
Fears brought a different kind of energy to the starting group, and watching him run the offense was the most fun some people have had watching the Pelicans in a while. The lobs, the ankle breakers, the tempo - it all clicked.
The one possible compromise would have been playing Murray and Fears together in the starting backcourt. That would have kept Murray in the opening five while still giving Fears the starting reps that could accelerate his growth. But because Murray’s injury kept that lineup from ever getting a real look, there’s no data to lean on there.
Fears does have one thing going for him in this debate: the Pelicans haven’t felt pressure to start Jordan Poole. Poole is making more than Murray and is also a veteran guard, yet he spent most of his Pelicans time, preseason included, coming off the bench. So the contract angle may not be enough to decide this for Mosley.
Still, if Murray is healthy and ready to go Wednesday night, it’s hard to picture him not starting. He’s the veteran, he returned from a major injury last year, he’s a leader, and he hasn’t really gotten a true shot to open a season as the team’s starting point guard.
Fears has already shown he’s the point guard of the future and looks too good to stay out of the starting five for long. But for now, until the Pelicans decide the time is right to move on from Murray, they may have to stick with him as the lead guard.
In Other News...
Pacers Open The Season With A Problem They Didn't Want
The Pacers are opening the season with an early lineup wrinkle they would have preferred to avoid, and it arrives in a spot where they were counting on continuity. With Aaron Nesmith unavailable at small forward, Indiana will have to adjust on the wing right away, with Kelly Oubre Jr. expected to step into the role and more minutes likely available for Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard.
The backcourt depth chart has its own concern, too, with T.J. McConnell still working back from a hamstring strain after missing the entire preseason. For a team trying to settle into its rotation quickly, the opening night absences mean the Pacers will have to lean on depth sooner than planned and hope the short-term patchwork does not turn into a longer-term problem. [Read more 🡒]
Yves Missi Faces Early Pelicans Test That Could Shake Up Rotation
Yves Missi is set to open the season as the Pelicans starting center, and the early schedule is not exactly handing him a soft landing. New Orleans is asking the young big man to handle tough matchups against some of the leagues best centers right away, which makes his defensive footing an immediate storyline for a team trying to settle its frontcourt rotation.
The Pelicans are also putting a clear evaluation process around the spot, with head coach Jamahl Mosley looking closely at how Missi holds up out of the gate. If the defensive end becomes a problem, New Orleans has other options it can turn to, which gives the first stretch of the season a little extra weight for a position that could quickly become fluid. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Already Have A Derik Queen Question They Cant Ignore
Derik Queen gave the Pelicans something to think about in preseason, and not just because of the board work. Over four games, the rookie showed he can rebound at a high level, finishing with 8.8 per game, while also flashing enough playmaking to keep the ball moving. But the offensive output was uneven, with just 5.8 points a night on 33.3% shooting, the kind of start that leaves coaches weighing his strengths against the parts of his game that still need polish.
The passing numbers only added to the conversation, with Queen posting nine assists and nine turnovers as he tried to find his rhythm in Jamahl Mosleys system. At the same time, Jeremiah Fears continued to build momentum by leading New Orleans in preseason scoring and looking more comfortable in command of the offense, a contrast that sharpens the question around how Queen fits as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]