A void has lingered over the Crescent City like a phantom limb, a persistent ache of what once was when Chris Paul was directing traffic on Poydras Street's main court. The New Orleans Pelicans have wandered through a point guard wilderness for the last 14 seasons, cycling through temporary solutions not quite up to the future Hall of Famer's standard. That is why Joe Dumars decided the foundation of the next era would be built with Jeremiah Fears.
The franchise's search for a floor general to help Zion Williamson has been a series of fleeting experiments (Rajon Rondo/CJ McCollum), injuries (Dejounte Murray/Lonzo Ball), and unmet potential (Dyson Daniels/Kira Lewis Jr). Jrue Holiday was once hyped up as an NBA MVP candidate. Still, the Pelicans rolled the dice once again with the 2025 NBA Draft's seventh overall pick, selecting the youngest point guard in the prospect pool.
Thankfully, Fears understands the assignment by all accounts. After talking with a handful of college coaches who schemed against the Oklahoma Sooners last season, several league sources who strolled through the combine, and then following the Summer League experience closely, one thing is clear: The 18-year-old rookie will earn respect from the locker room in a way that sounds similar to Chris Paul's coming-of-age process.
In fact, constant communication has been the easiest and most necessary adjustment since joining the Pelicans.
“I'm just continuing to be vocal,” Fears told ClutchPoints. “You've got to lead as a point guard, especially in the NBA, so just continuing to be vocal while trying to learn every single game. Learning my teammates and what positions and spots they like to be in, then trying to put them in those positions.”
Everyone understands that carrying the weight of postseason expectations while learning to navigate the complexities of professional basketball will be a challenge. Still, as the floor general, leadership is non-negotiable, and Fears is embracing the opportunity to fill in for Dejounte Murray to start the season. That is why the summer's learning curve has gone far beyond on-court development.
Chris Paul does not play when it comes to the pregame routine or general readiness to hoop all season. Fears has embraced the professional lifestyle changes required at the NBA level, from the weight room to the kitchen. Questions about the favorite culinary cheat-day treats got a healthy laugh.
“(I just) eat the right stuff,” explained Fears. “I'm asking the nutritionist about the right stuff to put in your body, down to the calorie intake. It's about taking your daily vitamins, the recovery shakes, and smoothies.”
If nothing else, Fears knows how to serve up a delicious answer for the fans. He should help bring a little extra youthful flavor to a locker room as well.
Jeremiah Fears finding answers
The adjustment period was rough on the rookie initially, as Fears went 9-of-33 (2-of-11 3PA) with ten turnovers in the first two NBA Las Vegas Summer League games. Those mistakes were barely worth mentioning in the postgame press scrums. Seeing the floor as much as possible and figuring things out on the fly were more important for the Pelicans.
Pelicans coach Corey Brewer emphasized that the rookie's improvement was evident from game to game.
“His decision-making got a lot better (in Las Vegas),” Brewer noted. “From the first two games to the last game, he made a lot better reads. He got guys open shots and is only going to continue to get better. He is only 18 years old, but he made some plays for us.”
Fears agreed after the last loss, detailing the lessons learned before heading home.
“It's learning when to pick your spots, when to take your shot. Got to get your teammates involved. Getting them involved early is going to help you and the team as well,” Fears began. “Really, learning guys are a lot more athletic. So, where to get it off the backboard, how high to get it, to give the ball a better chance to go in.”
Despite the learning curve, Brewer expressed confidence in how far along Fears is on the expected developmental trajectory.
“By game 40 or 50 next year,” Brewer predicted, “(Fears) is going to be a totally different player.”
That work starts well before the formal training camp, according to Brewer.
“(Fears is) getting better every game. He is learning,” Brewer stressed to ClutchPoints. “He has got to learn how to handle pressure better. It is the little things, but he is going to get better and better this summer. He can look at all the film from all those (NBA Summer League) games and see what he needs to work on.”
As the Pelicans prepare for the upcoming season, Fears represents a long-term solution to their point guard stability concerns. While growing pains are expected, the rookie's coachability and mature approach to professional development so far suggest the franchise may have finally found someone to fill Chris Paul's shoes.
