NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - It’s been a rough one for New Orleans pro sports, but fans are starting to find some levity from fresh faces.
On the field, the Saints got a 17-7 win over Carolina behind a solid performance from rookie Tyler Shough.
READ MORE Shough’s two TD passes, defense lead Saints to upset win at Carolina, 17-7
Now, on the hardwood, New Orleans sports fans are hoping a recent youthful lift will get the Pelicans back in the win column.
After the all-too-familiar injury bug contributed to a 0-6 start for the Pelicans, rookie Derik Queen made the most of an increased role, helping the Pelicans earn their first two victories of the season over the Hornets and Mavs. Queen played the entire fourth quarter in both of those contests.
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) drives agains San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy...
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) drives agains San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) and Spurs guard Devin Vassell during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)(Darren Abate | AP)
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Last Saturday (Nov. 8), the Pelicans fell to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs 126-119. There’s no such thing as a moral victory in pro sports, but the Pelicans put a scare in the West’s No. 2 team, which is 5-0 at home.
Trey Murphy III was the high-point man with 41 against the Spurs, but Queen’s impact was also felt, particularly in the second half, in extended minutes when the Pelicans rallied to shrink a 19-point deficit down to 3.
Queen’s ability to handle the rock, score, and find open cutters to the lane and shooters on the wings with his passing was the same kind of spark New Orleans experienced in their two previous wins.
He finished with a stat line of 13 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and two blocks. Much of that action came straight at Wembanyama, an elite league defender at 7-foot-4.
The flashes were enough to impress Hall-of-Fame member Tim Duncan, who was in attendance that night. The Spurs legend is widely regarded as the greatest power forward to have ever played the sport.
“I’m sitting here with my phone in my hand and Tim Duncan just sent me a text about Derik Queen,” said color commentator Antonio Daniels during the game broadcast. “He said, ‘Man, I really like that Queen guy.’”
Duncan and Daniels were teammates in San Antonio from 1998 to 2002.
Not to be outdone, rookie point guard Jeremiah Fears was the Pelicans’ second leading scorer on Saturday night with a line of 18 points, 2 steals, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Fears has shown flashes of being a solid NBA starter. This season, he averages 13.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 44.2 percent shooting.
Fears and Queen’s performances this early in the season have landed both players in the Top 10 of the NBA Rookie Ladder, a weekly tracker of Rookie of the Year award candidates. Their progress can be tracked here.
Viewers can continue to watch Fears and Queen’s progression live in real-time on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment on Monday night (Nov. 10) as they travel to Phoenix to take on the Spurs.
The Suns are 5-5 with a home record of 4-1. The Pelicans have the task of slowing down shooting guard Devin Booker, who is averaging 29 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m.
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