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The New Orleans Pelicans Have Boxed Themselves Into A Corner



The New Orleans Pelicans Have Boxed Themselves Into A Corner

Dan is joined by Shamit Dua (@fearthebrown) from the @inthenopod for a deep dive into the 2025-26 New Orleans Pelicans. SUBSCRIBE TO IN THE N.O ON SUBSTACK: https://intheno.substack.com/podcast. CHAPTERS BELOW.

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CHAPTERS⤵️
0:00 – INTRO
0:53 – The Pelicans’ direction
8:01 – Expectations for Derik Queen
16:46 – Expectations for Jeremiah Fears
23:39 – Continued development of Trey Murphy
28:04 – Future of Zion Williamson
36:07 – Continued development of Yves Missi
40:54 – Impact of Jordan Poole
42:28 – Dejounte Murray timeline
45:16 – Secondary wing rotation
48:10 – Will the Pelicans make more trades?
49:51 – Jordan Hawkins and Karlo Matkovic
52:11 – Defensive ceiling
54:07 – Biggest needs, under-the-radar storylines
57:15 – Top-10 rotation
58:39 – Go-to crunch-time unit
59:11 – Weirdo lineups we want to see
1:00:08 – PREDICTIONS

#nba #neworleanspelicans #zionwilliamson #nbaseason

7 Comments

  2. @rome8180

    As a Pelicans fan who has no obligation to spin anything, I think Zion and Queen are hilariously bad fit together. Queen is basically just a less athletic, less talented Zion. I'm not sure why that would give any opponents problems defending. And hey, even if I'm wrong and it does, the defense is going to be so horrendous with those two that it won't matter how efficiently they score.

    Zion has always deserved a floor-spacing rim protector. Somehow this simple concept continues to elude the various Pelicans front offices. From following Shamit on social media for years, he also seems to have a weird obsession with clogging the frontcourt.

    Maybe I'll end up being wrong about Queen, but my dislike for him as a player has made the trading of a draft pick even more frustrating. I said less talented, less athletic Zion. The problem with that description is that player might be Anthony Bennett or Jared Sullinger with some driving ability.

  3. @dcwayne4591

    I’m sorry but the Jeremiah Fears conversation’s have to stop 😂. Collin Sexton is a good guard and is now a journeyman. Tyus Jones is a good guard, also bounces from team to team.

    If all these players Jeremiah Fears will nerve be as good as are on shaky ground, how does he get like 10 podcast minutes? Fears is a Kobe Bufkin level player 🤷‍♀️

  4. @rome8180

    My Pelicans prediction is that whatever coach they hire to replace Willie Green will be far worse and will be gone within a year or two. I'm predicting somebody who was last a good coach in 2012.

  5. @LyricsByBrianEKing

    Time will tell regarding the Queen trade but for them to feel he's a top 5 player in this and the next draft is wild and puts a lot of pressure on him moreso than the Pels. With all the Pels injuries just last year,let alone Zion's annual limited availability AND the Bucks uncertainty regarding a so-so coach,no true point guard,etc. , It's a beyond risky trade. Unless Queen turns into the next Olajuwon, they're going to regret it,or at least their fans will

  6. @xsikal

    As a Pels fan, I don't have a problem with Queen as a player. I just think he's a bad fit on the Pels and especially next to Zion (as an undersized big with conditioning issues and terrible defense) and obviously the trade was disastrous.

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