Why Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray sees ‘something special’ in Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears

After 13 months of Achilles rehab, Dejounte Murray finally made his season debut for the New Orleans Pelicans. However, in a moment that could have been all about his own return, the veteran made sure the spotlight shifted to the rookies. Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen played a big part in the win over the visiting Golden State Warriors after all.

Murray delivered a vintage performance (13 points, three assists, two rebounds in 25 minutes), but it was the energy injected by first-year players during a pivotal third-quarter stretch that had the All-Star singing some postgame praises.

“Yeah, we needed it though. We had some battles in practice. Just to have a game like that where we came out hot, looked really well to start the game, but then we had some adversity to get through. Shout out to that third quarter. Our young group came in, and they won that quarter. They played really well to put us in a position to win tonight. At the end of the day, we’ve just got to be together and do it together.”

The victory provided a glimpse of what James Borrego’s injury-plagued Pelicans hope is a promising future, even as New Orleans navigates the final stretch of a challenging season. With the playoffs out of reach, minutes have opened for the rookie class. Thankfully, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are making the most of the opportunities, with both posting All-Rookie worthy numbers across the board.

For a demanding Dejounte Murray-led Pelicans squad, the opportunity to mentor the young core is a chance for every veteran to help build something sustainable. As a point guard, it must be a priority. As for how much the Fears and Queen have applied the 29-year-old’s advice over the last few weeks?

“A lot. Because, as I said, I want to make everybody’s jobs easier, and that’s going to rub off on them. But there are guys who already feel that way. You know, you got a guy like Herb Jones that don’t ask the coach to draw a play up for him. He’s always active on offense. He sees what no one see defense, he’s active. Everybody knows him for that,” Murray explained. “But, you know, I just think the more we’re together off the floor, having fun and learning each other translate, it could be really special.”

The Pelicans (15-42) are lottery-bound, but the development of their rookie duo has emerged as a genuine bright spot. Queen is averaging 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists; Fears is putting up 13.3 points and 3.1 assists. Murray suggested their statistics tell only part of the story. What’s impressed him more is how they’ve handled the inevitable ups and downs of an NBA rookie season, particularly when roles changed dramatically.

“We do like each other. There’s no egos. There’s nobody pouting,” Murray shared. “You had young guys starting, then they went to the bench. They took it, you know, like they should have taken it, and I give a lot of credit to them for that. So, that speaks volumes of maturity and what they’re in for. And we’re all here to win and longevity, you know, is a key for everybody.”

For a franchise that has often searched for stability, Murray sees the foundation being laid in real time. Joe Dumars has ‘executed to perfection’ the plan to win Dejounte’s trust. Wins might be harder to come by this season, but the belief in what comes next has never been stronger.

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