Inside the Pelicans’ Bold Draft Strategy: Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen

Inside the Pelicans’ Bold Draft Strategy: Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen

so after Trey Johnson at six this was another kind of domino in the top 10 I’d say it was linked There was some some rumblings some murmurss but Jeremiah Fierce goes seven to New Orleans Fears I think you coined it zero fear Um but like real dynamic on the ball best handle on the class Uh just so kind of like explosive downhill gets to the paint at will Interesting pick So there’s there’s there’s some some buzz about Derek Queen potentially going seven They end up taking fears as seven trading back in at 13 with the Hawks to get Derek First off what’s your take on the fears Go Fears of seven Obviously there was some fears interest in Brooklyn at eight Um so this is kind of a domino the back half of the lottery This to me feels kind of like a Dumar’s pick because Dumar is such a guard guy and I do feel like that Joe D the only person that has really proven that small guards can win a title as the main guy is Isaiah Thomas and guess who his running mate was Joe Dumar So if there’s anyone that can believe a small guard with a type of moxy and a type of kind of you know cache about the way that they play can do it It’s probably Joe Dumar So maybe he saw something in Jeremiah Fears and if you’ve watched Fierce play you can see why he would see something Now we can point to 28% from the three-point line We can point to you know the some of the mechanics with the shot all that sort of stuff I’ve heard it over and over again but just watch Jeremiah Fierce play the game of basketball And I promise you you’ll come away and say “Okay he looks like a future NBA allstar He is raw I think there is going to be some natural development there But again I’m a big fan of Joe You know he’s always been great throughout my you know career just with basketball you know insights and things like that He’s willing to share He’s back home in a place where he feels very comfortable in Louisiana So I feel like he’s going to have kind of a say as to what’s going to happen down there So for him to go after fears and identify him as a guard that he likes as a A1 elite guard that says a lot about Jeremiah Fierce right This is a high bar I feel like to pass in his world So I would take that as a good sign if I’m a New Orleans fan And then they obviously already love Derek Queen So once they had fears still on the board I think that’s when they were like “Okay we’re going to swing for fears and then we’re going to figure out a way to go back and get queen whatever it takes to get queen because we really want queen.” Um because like you said a lot of people thought he might even go as high as seven So I like it that they end up getting two guys that in their minds were probably lottery talents right
Yeah definitely I think it’s a high conviction draft right Like you get two players that maybe they could can be considered their guys So I see a lot of like you know whether it’s I’m getting texts or I’m get seeing the the leaks on Twitter from Winhorse and a couple other NBA guys where people are really questioning the move
A lot of criticism about the trade Does that give you some even extra motivation just hearing people talk about the trade
Uh yes definitely Uh cuz I mean I’m I’m going say I don’t think nobody in in that class ever going to be better than me So I uh I block all the noise out Uh and then he got a lot of faith in me Uh most of those guys I I beat on in high school so it don’t it don’t really it don’t really matter But just got to continue I know the NBA is a whole different level So just got to continue getting better Don’t get too biged Don’t get too low It just and and just just beat on them next year when they when they come when they come in and and and make Joe look like a genius I would just say like let’s wait and see right Like that I think them trading you know a highv value 2026 pick to come back into the lottery and get Derek they walk away with fears and Derek Queen I think all that really shows is a tremendous belief in who Dererick can be as a player
Um so well I think yeah like I I think it’s way too early to overanalyze this Like obviously 2026 draft is going to be pretty high level but
well if they just put any protections I know this pick is like you know obviously because they have the optionality with Milwaukee as well and that’s why it’s such a you know big topic or whatever Obviously Joe would have put some protections if he could Atlanta was like yeah we want it without any protections But Milwaukey’s going to play like they’re going to go for it Giannis isn’t going anywhere as far as we know So Giannis you know the that that version of the swap won’t be great Um and then New Orleans they’re expecting Zion to play and to be good next year They’re expecting Zion to have like a resurgent year That is everything that I have heard That that is the expectation So we’ll see if that actually happens but that is the expectation So they expect to be good So they’re like “Our pick’s going to be you know 15 16 17 range in their mind.” So it’s not the worst thing in the world but I understand without any protections it does look insane Yeah I I try to always go through the lens of like you know if you’re listening to this and you want us to say some crazy about winners and losers and this GM’s dumb and blah blah like go watch First Take Like we’re people that you know like appreciate the basketball stuff but uh
I think it just shows a lot of conviction Like they think he’s a guy so they went and got

Jacob Myers and Tate Frazier break down the New Orleans Pelicans’ bold 2025 NBA Draft, which included selecting Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and trading an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks to land Derik Queen at No. 13. What does it mean for the future of the franchise?

Full Convo: https://youtu.be/5vNlhNw2APQ

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