Derik Queen Articles - Page 2

The New Orleans Pelicans are finally finding their rhythm, capping off a pivotal stretch with a three-game winning streak that has injected new life into the team. Victories over the Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, and Houston Rockets mark the franchise’s first such run this season, arriving precisely at the one-month anniversary of interim head […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are focused less on the standings and more on a set of standards going into the holidays. Zion Williamson and Derik Queen are starting to click, leading to a three-game winning streak in the process. However, while the climb from the Western Conference cellar to the Play-In tournament is steep, James […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have needed good news beyond rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, and thankfully for their fans, got a couple of mood-boosting wins before Christmas. James Borrego reflected on the significance of the victories in the context of the team’s ongoing efforts to establish a strong foundation around Zion Williamson. While victories […]

Add former NBA forward Richard Jefferson to the growing list of the recently formed Derik Queen Fans Club. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie has continued to turn heads with his impressive performances. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had high praise for Queen after their matchup last month, while NBA legend Tim Duncan has also taken […]

The New Orleans Pelicans got an epic performance from big man Derik Queen on Monday. Queen posted a triple-double, leading his team in a close loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Following the game, Queen had a message to his doubters. “It means a lot. It’s pretty good for a person that didn’t have a […]

Class of 2025’s Derik Queen has been a surprise success for the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists thus far despite being only the 13th pick from the draft. Against the San Antonio Spurs, despite his team losing 135-132, Queen recorded his best-ever performance in the NBA, joining an exclusive […]

On Monday night, Derik Queen didn’t just have a breakout moment; he delivered a statement performance that may go down as one of the most shocking early-career explosions of the season. In a thrilling late finish, the New Orleans Pelicans lost to the San Antonio Spurs 135-132, but the rookie center was the engine behind […]

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Derik Queen recently received high praise from San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan. That’s why when the Pelicans hosted the Spurs at Smoothie King Center on Monday, Queen balled out. Queen registered his first triple-double in the NBA after tallying 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He shot 11-of-15 from […]

Playing with “speed and violence” has been a tenet of James Borrego’s since being elevated to the head job. Turning every change of possession, make or miss by the opponent, into an opportunity for Jeremiah Fears to ignite the break has been a catalyst for quick transitions and an aggressive pace. Fellow rookie Derik Queen […]

Learning curves are usually steep at the NBA level and interim head coach James Borrego knows it’s especially challenging for rookies. That is why the New Orleans Pelicans are simplifying their defensive schemes to shield Derik Queen from being overwhelmed defensively, an approach that is already paying off as the 19-year-old adjusts to NBA speed […]

When the New Orleans Pelicans made a coaching change after a dismal start to the season, one glaring issue lingered behind Willie Green. A tenure defined by disastrous third-quarter collapses required a simple, yet brutal, fix by interim James Borrego. Thankfully, it was not about complicated schemes, but about a mindset that Jeremiah Fears and […]

New Orleans rookie Derik Queen has been balling out lately. Even the Atlanta Falcons have taken notice. The Falcons handily beat the New Orleans Saints, 24-10, at Caesars Superdome on Sunday to snap their five-game losing streak and improve to 4-7. After the game, the Falcons’ account on X had a Queen-inspired post. “Marked safe […]

The Pelicans have been slugging through another disappointing season that has already seen the organization fire head coach Willie Green. One bright spot for the Pelicans though has been the play of rookie forward Derik Queen, who recently added to his list of early highlights with a steal and a slam dunk against the Atlanta […]

Derik Queen showed off his passing skills during an amazing highlight with Trey Murphy III during the New Orleans Pelicans’ NBA Cup matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Queen is going through his rookie season in the league, making strides as he’s getting more comfortable in the Pelicans’ rotation. He’s recently garnered more […]

Derik Queen received praise from Nikola Jokic following his performance in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 125-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. In 30 minutes of action, Queen shined with a career-high 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. He shot 12-of-18 from the field, including 1-of-2 from beyond […]

Hope has flickered like a faulty scoreboard for far too long in the Smoothie King Center, so the New Orleans Pelicans made a not-so-bold pivot to James Borrego. Joe Dumars had little choice after being given the green light by team governor Gayle Benson. A decision to fire Willie Green did not hinge on a […]

The New Orleans Pelicans fell to a 2-7 record on Saturday after suffering a 126-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. It’s looking like it’s going to be a long season, as the club is experiencing a slow start. However, the future might be incredibly bright, as Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan is […]

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg had a heated moment with former high school teammate and current New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen following Wednesday’s 101–99 loss, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective. The exchange occurred after Flagg missed a potential game-tying floater in the final seconds of regulation. […]

What does the future of the New Orleans Pelicans look like? This is an open-ended question with many different paths to explore, but one constant and sure thing about this organization is rookie big man Derik Queen being a focal point of their future. Throughout high school, Queen was viewed as one of the best […]

Just a few weeks ago, DeAndre Jordan’s career was in purgatory as he had yet to sign with a team. Thankfully, the New Orleans Pelicans took a chance on him to add more veteran presence to their young roster. While Jordan has not seen a lot of playing time, he has been a welcome addition […]

The New Orleans Pelicans’ turbulent start to the 2025 NBA season has sparked growing unrest among fans, who are now calling on commissioner Adam Silver to take the extraordinary step of forcing a change in ownership. After a dismal 0-4 start and years of organizational instability, frustration around New Orleans’s direction has reached a boiling […]

As New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson continues to try to make an impact, his status is now up in the air for Monday night’s contest against the Boston Celtics. Despite the loss, the Pelicans’ forward in Williamson posterized Victor Wembanyama last Friday in the 120-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, showing off his […]

The Baltimore Ravens earned the Monday Night Football spotlight for Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. Both are top 10 ranked teams in the NFL power rankings. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and company attracted some notable NBA personalities to their game: Carmelo Anthony and Derik Queen. The perennial NBA All-Stars were seen catching the action on […]

The New Orleans Pelicans enter the 2025-26 NBA season with an identity crisis, a disoriented fanbase, and a schedule that does them no favors. Coming off a brutal 21-61 campaign, the Pelicans were desperate for direction, clarity, and some form of stability. Instead, they doubled down on confusion. General manager Joe Dumars and the revamped […]

When Joe Dumars took over the reins of the New Orleans Pelicans’ front office, many expected sweeping changes and a clearer vision for the franchise. So far, that vision has been difficult to define. Are the Pelicans rebuilding around Zion Williamson? Are they trying to stay competitive with a flawed roster? Or are they simply […]

Kendrick Perkins pushed back against skepticism surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans’ draft-night trade for Derik Queen, offering strong praise for the rookie center during a recent appearance on the Road Trippin podcast. Perkins addressed the criticism directly, arguing that the team’s move to trade up for Queen with the Atlanta Hawks was justified based on […]

When the New Orleans Pelicans traded back into the lottery to select Derik Queen with the No. 13 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they made one of the boldest moves of draft night. The front office sent out a future first-round pick, a 2026 selection, to make it happen. Queen wasn’t a reach by […]

Winning is nice, especially when it happens in Las Vegas. There were plenty of winners at NBA Summer League this year, as Kyle Filipowski, Nique Clifford, and Kon Knueppel were among the notable standouts from this summer’s showcase. However, when there are winners of NBA Summer League, there are also losers that need to be […]

The New Orleans Pelicans really wanted Derik Queen during the NBA Draft. Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars traded a very valuable draft pick to jump up and take him. He and Jeremiah Fears showed flashes during New Orleans’ games at NBA Summer League. Unfortunately, an injury suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers knocked Queen out […]

As New Orleans Pelicans rookie Derik Queen wants redemption after what he considered to be a down performance, one who thought relatively the same was NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor. With Queen selected by the Pelicans in the 2025 NBA Draft with the 13th overall pick, his Summer League debut on Friday in the 98-91 loss […]

The New Orleans Pelicans made headlines this 2025 NBA Draft when they drafted big man Derik Queen out of Maryland. Queen has a ton of potential and has a unique playstyle in the frontcourt. Because of his all-around skillset, many are expecting him to contribute in a big way right away for the Pelicans. Queen […]

The New Orleans Pelicans had an eventful couple of nights at the 2025 NBA Draft, sparking a range of opinions from their series of intriguing moves. Despite initially holding just one first-round pick, newly-hired head of basketball operations Joe Dumars ended the process with Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Micah Peavy on his roster. Dumars […]

Derik Queen walked out of NBA Draft night fueling the future of New Orleans Pelicans basketball. But he walked into criticism as well. The Pelicans traded up to No. 13 to grab the Maryland star on Wednesday. NBA legend Joe Dumars helped facilitate the move in the Pelicans’ draft room. Yet it was Jeremiah Fears […]

Kendrick Perkins had an intriguing take to share about New Orleans Pelicans draftee Derik Queen. The Atlanta Hawks selected Queen with the 13th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft during the first round on Wednesday night. However, they sent him to New Orleans in exchange for picks, giving him a unique start to his NBA […]

Shams Charania responded to sharp criticism from NBA analyst Bill Simmons regarding the New Orleans Pelicans’ draft-night trade for Maryland center Derik Queen. The exchange drew additional attention after the Pelicans themselves joined the discussion on social media, defending their decision with a pointed remark aimed at Simmons. During the first night of the 2025 […]

Derik Queen didn’t cry, mumble a curse word under his breath, or jump into the commissioner’s arms. Instead, the newly drafted NBA rookie did something unexpected. He opened his LinkedIn app. Moments after being selected No. 13 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks and promptly traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, […]

After the NBA Draft, New Orleans Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars defended his deal with the Atlanta Hawks, as the Pelicans traded for Derik Queen at No. 13 on Wednesday. While addressing other pressing matters, such as Dejounte Murray calling out the organization in a podcast, Dumars revealed how New Orleans feels about […]

The New Orleans Pelicans made headlines on NBA Draft night, and it wasn’t just because of who they picked—it was what Derik Queen said next that stole the moment. Selected No. 13th overall by the Atlanta Hawks and quickly dealt to New Orleans, the versatile big man delivered a confident, crowd-pleasing quote that instantly fired […]

The NBA Draft is always full of trades, and Wednesday night was no different. While the beginning of the NBA Draft was relatively quiet on the trade front, the deals started to come in thick and fast after the first few picks were made. In the end, perhaps none of the deals had the ramifications […]