The beat-up New Orleans Pelicans have a decision to make down the stretch of what has been a chaotic, transitional season. Fortunately for the fans looking for silver linings, interim head coach James Borrego may have already tipped the franchise's hand. While the wins have been hard to come by, everyone in the Crescent City sees a bright future centered on unselfish play. It all starts with rookie Derik Queen embracing a role that draws comparisons to Nikola Jokic.
For most rookies, comparisons to a three-time MVP would amount to little more than preseason hype. It’s quickly becoming Queen's job description. As the Pelicans close a disappointing season, Borrego's top priority is fully unleashing the rookie big man in the role Jokic has made famous. The results suggest Queen is ready to be the primary hub of the offense, bringing the ball up after rebounds and initiating everything in the half-court.
“Queen has that naturally; he had that ability coming into the NBA,” Borrego told ClutchPoints. “He has the ability to make plays, and really his strength is making others better. His ability to pass, see the floor, and he does it in the full court. I think you referenced Jokic. Well, we've got a ways to go, but getting that in the full court is a problem.”
“Jokic can bring it up off a rebound, same thing with Queen,” added Borrego. “He has the vision to kick the ball ahead and find the open player. He does it in the half-court as well. I can probably move him around a little bit more in the half-court, too, to disguise his playmaking ability.”
That full-court and half-court versatility creates mismatches that defenses struggle to solve late in games.
By initiating the offense from the high post or elbow, Queen can force rotations and open driving lanes for teammates. That's the same formula that earned Jokic multiple MVP awards. Borrego stressed that Queen’s impact extends beyond his own stat line. His willingness to share the ball has helped foster a team-wide culture of unselfishness that is paying dividends.
“It's just a spirit that trickles throughout our team when you have guys that are willing to share the ball, move the ball,” Borrego shared. “Fears is growing in that area with his decision-making. His ability to get downhill in transition in the half court, touch the paint, find kickouts, and spray it.”
The Pelicans are building that identity around multiple young pieces, but Queen seems to be the obvious centerpiece. With the All-Rookie voting window closing soon, giving Queen extended minutes as the primary initiator in both transition and half-court sets would showcase exactly why he belongs in the NBA Rookie of the Year conversation.
“We have two young guys, and I'll put Peavy in there as well. Peavy is another young guy who gets it. He is unselfish. He wants to get downhill and make plays for others,” explained Borrego. “We've got a core of young unselfish players that are trying to make others better.”
Fears and Peavy are fine prospects. A defense that has to account for a 6-foot-10 center who can push the pace off a defensive rebound and find cutters in transition is a defense stretched in ways most teams are simply not built to handle. Jokic has tortured opponents with that exact skill set for the better part of a decade. Derik Queen is flashing the same instincts.
All the traditional and analytical numbers are staggering, almost improbable for a 21-year-old big man finding his way in the NBA. Queen is averaging 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field through the All-Star break. The Maryland alum became the first rookie center in league history to record a 30-point triple-double, posting 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the San Antonio Spurs.
Queen reached 200 career assists faster than any center in 50 years. Yes, faster than Jokic. The comparisons to three-time MVP are no longer just speculative. For a franchise that has endured injury, roster turnover, and a coaching change, the emergence of that kind of selfless core is the most promising development in New Orleans in years. Queen is not Jokic, not yet, and perhaps not ever, but the archetype is real.
The instincts are there; the supporting cast is buying in. With a handful of games remaining in his rookie season, now is precisely the time for the Pelicans to let Queen operate with the keys to the offense and see how far that Jokic comparison can actually go.
