Derik Queen's preseason offered the New Orleans Pelicans a familiar dilemma: solid production on the glass and too many questions everywhere else.
Queen averaged a team-high 8.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes across four games. That matters for a team needing all the help it can get on the boards. But his offensive struggles complicated things, leaving New Orleans with little clarity about how well he fits into Jamahl Mosley's system.
Queen averaged 5.8 points on 33.3% shooting, with nine assists and nine turnovers. That's a costly balance for a big man whose passing should be one of his strongest selling points . When creating for teammates also means wasted possessions, the value of those touches shrinks.
HIs outside shot offered little evidence that it has improved from last season. Queen made one of four attempts from three. That sample isn't a final answer, but it also didn't demonstrate that defenses need to guard him differently.
Those concerns follow a rookie season that showed both his ability and his inconsistency.
Queen averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, production that earned him Second Team All-Rookie recognition. HIs touch and vision gave the Pelicans reasons to believe in his offensive potential. Yet the encouraging stretches never eliminated questions about his defense, spacing, or ability to contribute when the offense flowed through someone else.
Jeremiah Fears' development makes that uncertainty more noticeable.
Fears endured his own rookie growing pains, but his progress became more steady. This preseason, he led the Pelicans with 13.3 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and from beyond the arc. More than percentages, his increasing command of the offense strengthened his case as a foundational player .
Queen's place l ooks less settled . Mosley didn't start him once during the preseason, a reminder that draft status doesn't guarantee anything in New Orleans right now.
Keeping pace with Fears doesn't mean he has to match him point for point. It requires Queen showing that their strengths can work together.
With Fears handling the ball and Zion Williamson needing space inside, Queen must become effective without controlling possessions. That means setting solid screens, cutting at the right time, finishing opportunities at the rim, and making quick decisions. His passing can still matter, especially after a screen creates an advantage. But Queen has to help create that advantage first.
That transition asks Queen to expand how he impacts the game while cutting his dependence on the touches that showcase his best skills.
Mosley's arrival also brings a difficult defensive adjustment. Queen lacks the combination of mobility, athleticism, and positional versatility that gave Mosley options with Orlando's frontcourts. Positioning, anticipation, and communication become especially important when recovering from mistakes is more difficult.
His rebounding provides a starting point. It doesn't settle whether the Pelicans can consistently trust his offense and defense in the same lineup.
Queen could face one of the longest adjustment curves among the team's regulars. Four preseason games aren't enough for a referendum on his future, but they exposed how much remains unresolved. Fears is making his role easier to define. Queen must show that his own can become more than a collection of promising skills and uneven results.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/pelicans/onsi as Derik Queen's Pelicans Preseason Was a Total Mixed Bag .
