Derik Queen, Pelicans
Derik Queen recorded his second triple-double of the season against the Washington Wizards.
New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie Derik Queen put together an all-around impressive performance in the Pelicans 128-107 win over the Washington Wizards.
Queen notched his second triple-double of the season finishing with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. After recording his second triple-double, Queen joined Chris Paul as the only two rookies in franchise history to record multiple triple-doubles in a season. It was a homecoming game for Queen and he did not disappoint.
“It means a lot,” Queen said after the win. “I only come here once a year, so to be here and putting on a show, hopefully it’s memorable. And I’m looking forward to next year also.”
In his rookie season, Queen has put the league on notice. Through 39 games, he’s averaging 12.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
Derik Queen Joining Chris Paul
Queen is in good company joining Paul. Paul finished his rookie season with two triple-doubles. Queen already has two and still has more than half a season left.
The Pelicans have a rookie center who is multi-faceted and is comfortable with the ball in his hands. Queen recorded the first triple-double of his career back in December against the San Antonio Spurs. He finished that game with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. That performance made him the first rookie center to record a 30-point triple-double, according to ESPN research. He also became the fifth player to record a 30-point triple-double before turning 21.
Queen talked about what it meant to be in such an elite group of individuals. “It means a lot,” Queen said. “It is pretty good for a person who didn’t have a preseason that was hurt. A lot of people doubted. I even had a little doubt in myself, my first time being injured. I think how things have been going this season, it is pretty good.”
Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego was impressed with Queen’s performance against the Spurs. “Special night for him,” Borrego said. “He was great. He did a really good job defensively on the boards, controlled the offense. We ran a lot of our stuff through him. He was fantastic.”
Derik Queen Becoming an Impact Player for New Orleans
The Pelicans selected Queen with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, and the rookie has proven to be a valuable player to the team. After posting his first triple-double of the season, Queen talked about how he needs to be consistent on the floor.
“I just got to keep being physical and keep going to the rim and keep being smart,” he said. “Just keep on getting better. (I) can’t be satisfied with tonight, just consistency.” In addition to the triple-doubles, Queen has posted six double-doubles so far this season. He has scored 30 or more twice and has scored 20 or more eight times.
Queen has shown that he can score, but there’s more to his game than that and the rookie center has proven to be an impact when he’s on the court. At the end of the season, Queen could be named to an All-Rookie team based off his performance so far.