Derik Queen’s IMPACT Changes Everything for Pelicans! Why This Win MATTERS More Than You Think
New Orleans Pelicans secure their second win of the season with a gritty 101-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, but this ugly triumph reveals more about the franchise’s future than the final score suggests. Can rookie Derik Queen’s raw talent and clutch fourth-quarter performance signal hope for a team that started 0-6?
Jake Madison breaks down why this win matters beyond the standings, examining Queen’s game-changing plays, Trey Murphy III’s impact despite poor shooting numbers, and Jose Alvarado’s spark plug performance that earned him a team-high plus-12. The discussion covers Saddiq Bey’s 22-point scoring outburst, the team’s improved defensive rebounding, and whether these back-to-back victories save head coach Willie Green’s job despite persistent offensive concerns without Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole
Key topics include the Pelicans’ two-timeline approach balancing win-now goals with young player development, rookie Jeremiah Fears’ struggles, and what this scrappy performance reveals about the team’s fight and future direction in the Western Conference.
Tune in for an honest assessment of whether the Pelicans have found their identity or simply postponed the inevitable.
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29 Comments
How about this narrative for this game, it was a defensive struggle because Dallas is 8th in the league defensively…ijs. Every win is a good win
Missi’s absence is really helping.
I was afraid that D.Q. was going to be a bust. The last 2 games, he has played well.
Every dayer
Eventually Queen will replace Zion
Let the "Crawfishin'" begin, about the DQ trade. Here's some very, simple math. The Pelicans have their, First Round Draft Choice, Next Year, playing NOW, and looking really Nicey🧐💪 So when the Hawks get our 1st round pick, they will get a Rookie, who May, make an impact next season. While DQ, has a Full Season, under his belt😮😅😂. Easy math😎 "Man! Our First Rounder, Next Year, is playing like a #11 pick…" 😶🥸🤣😭
I don’t think was a awful game! It was more like a 90’s game old school I love it!!
They’ve been competitive in most of their games . Who knows maybe they’ll be better than most of us expected
Queen was called Baby Jokic for a reason. The Pelicans need to develop him the way the Mavs are going all-in with Cooper. He was Cooper's teammate in high school, and when I was looking into Cooper, I noticed this Queen guy always making big plays for the team.
Fears is our best player😂 (fight me) and i was over the moon we went and got D queen. Watch his college tape. Dude isnt some simpleton. D QUEEN IS A PROVEN WINNER AND A PROVEN DOG. PERIOD. fears. Omg, put a sixers jersey on him and a headband. He is Allen iverson 2.0. So fast. So fearless. Can score from all over. And he is way more mature, basketball wise on court, than i could have hoped for. Fears and queen were home runs. F all yall. Fk that pick 😂. Gimmi D.queen all over again. He wont be super flashy. But what he will do is work a stat sheet and quietly handle his business.
They play better without Zion. More open looks, better ball movement, faster pace and better defense.
Hi jake
I never thought I would say this because I’m a big fan of Z but I think it’s time we move on from Zion I know he will be great anywhere he go but it’s just not working for my team the pelicans he doesn’t do the things we really need in a superstar can not shoot bad free throw shooter and always injured it’s just not working I’m sorry 🤷🏾♂️
They're like a Monet where if you squint you will see more clearer what the artist was trying to paint 😁😱
You've been calling for Willie's job for two years now. The problem is Zion more than the coach.
lol “Trey better than you think”… please cut it out. I’m convinced it was a campaign to push B.I out.
Trey got paid to be a star and is not living up to the hype. Let’s call a spade a spade. In games where Zion is out, we need Trey to takeover games and be the leading scorer, instead we’re talking about a Rookie that still needs NBA development.
Why not keep a guy like Bey for the future? You have to acquire talent and keep it to compete. Moving him at deadline doesn't seem like a smart thing to do.
Shoutout Hawkins too! Dude was handed grenades all game and didn’t blink once. Box score was iffy but he makes a big steal and assist in crunch time!
I’m wondering which rook will be the first to drop 30. I honestly don’t know which one is going to be the better player.
I get why yall would say trade Zion but its laughable to say build around Derik and Fears why while being in a conference with Big men like Jokic, Wemby, and sengun Lmao the league needs to get rid of this team and move to another city because regardless if you get another 1 draft pick theyll eventually want out
Yall cry when they lose, and when they win..😀
We need to see how well Queen plays this season. We know Zion could be a top ten player. Where would you have picked Zion, if you knew how many games he would have played in the first 7 or 8 years? With that in mind, if Queen is a top 5 rookie this season. Joe may have made the right move this off season. Ja Morant has had a bunch of issues, in his career. Who are the top 5 players from the Zion draft?
i said before trey had a month of good ball last year. you'll know if he a real guy if he can do it again.
Awkward moment when ROTY comes down to Queen or Fears…
Long way off but I am excited by what I have seen. Great stuff from the team
Stop, Trey is horrible. He can't get off a jump shot, he can't defend or rebound, and he is a turnover waiting to happen. They continue to drive to the basket and kick the ball out to him, but he can't get his shot off, so he drives to the basket. How many times were they up against the clock because Trey couldn't or wouldn't take the shot? The only shot he can take are those horrible logo shots because defenders are willing to allow him to shoot the low percentage shots. He can get off the floor for showtime dunks, but he can't rise up over someone for a jumper? At 6'8", you can't raise your hands above your waist to provide some sense of defense? And don't get me started on 50/50 balls. Trey is an observer; he is not getting involved, especially if some contact might be involved. He has spent too much time around CJ, Basketball is a physical game; you can't play the game well if you are on the court avoiding contact at any cost.
Finally, what does it say when your offense looks so much better when your so-called "best player" is not playing? Stop giving the ball to Zion in the back court, push the ball up the floor, if he decides to join the other guys, involve him, if not, stop giving him the ball to placate his ego.
A 7 point spread (75 to 68) between best and worst is really narrow, making "OMG worst rebound rate!" little more than clickbait.
Trey Murphy isn't worth 25 million a year! From his first yr to his second yr u seen some improvement in his three point ability.
However, after that,hardly any at all!
He needs to lose the attitude,and practice more on his 3-point shooting!When he accomplishes that then he can walk around like a peacock!!!!
New to this pod, but I’ve got whiplash last week doom and gloom back away from the cliff. This week a couple guys are out and we are throwing in the towel on them and our rookies can’t be beat. Geez. The road ahead is so long.
DQ is the truth. Everyone likes to give Coop all the hype but Montverde was dominant in large part due to Queen. Same with Maryland last year, when everything runs through Queen the wins pile up