In an NBA season stacked with excellent rookie play in the NBA, New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen has emerged as one of the top first-year players.
The former five-star recruit was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and has immediately made an impact, ranking among the top players in just about every major statistical category for rookies.
Queen posted a triple-double early on this season against the San Antonio Spurs when he posted 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists with four blocks, becoming the first rookie center in NBA history to put up such a stat line.
The Pelicans won't be going to the playoffs this year, but they're starting to build a culture around Queen, former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and leading scorer Trey Murphy III.
Queen recently took time to speak to Athlon Sports about numerous topics, including his objectives, players he modeled his game after, his partnership with Dairy Queen and how he's looking to become an actor. Here's what transpired:
[Editor's note: The following transcript has been lightly edited for readability.]
Athlon Sports: You rank near the top in about every major statistical category among rookies. Talk about your thoughts on your rookie season so far.
Queen: Yeah, definitely still some ups and downs, but just trying to get better, just keep trusting the work that I put in, still trying to have fun. Still trying to contribute to winning and stuff. But I just want to finish the year strong and go into the next year strong.
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen operates with the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (4) pursues the play at Smoothie King Center on March 18, 2026. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Q: Do you have any concrete end-of-season objectives?
Queen: Yeah, just trying to win of course. I want to be first-team All-Rookie and just lead the season off on a good note.
Q: I know you've been coming off the bench lately. How has that adjustment been?
Queen: It's been an adjustment because of course getting in, laying in the corner, and just trying to get a flow of the game. But just watching the game, just seeing how the game is flowing. It's definitely going to help and just try to adapt to it quickly.
Derik Queen 2025-26 stats
PPG RPG APG FG% 3-pt FG%
11.3 6.8 3.8 .479 .280
Q: I know you're kind of a unique type of player. You put up a triple-double earlier this year against the Spurs. Did you model your game after any particular NBA player?
Queen: Not model my game necessarily, but take some pieces like (Nikola) Jokić, (Joel) Embiid and Carmelo (Anthony), the people I used to watch growing up. But not like model my full game after them.
Q: Have you gotten the chance to speak to any of those guys, like Jokic and Embiid. I'm sure you've talked to them at some point.
Queen: I was actually shy to speak to Jokić. But DeAndre Jordan, my vet, he called him, and I was talking to him. And then Embiid after the game, he pulled me to the side and gave me some words of encouragement and just told me what I need to do better and what he did against me that worked, and for me to stop it next time.
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen reacts after a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers at Smoothie King Center on March 19, 2026. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Q: You brought up DeAndre Jordan. That's a heck of a vet. What's the best advice you've received from him and what have you learned from Zion? I know Zion is [still] young himself, but what have you learned from him?
Queen: It's a lot of different advice that they give me, just like life, not necessarily basketball, but life. Just how to figure your way through this, through this business, and probably the best advice is what to do during the offseason. Because it's my first offseason, I'm kinda lost of what I want to do or where I'm gonna be at. Some of them want me to be with them, too. Just offseason advice."
Q: If I put you on the spot, is there a certain area where you want to improve? Can you think of one category?
Queen: Shooting, consistent shooting.
Q: What is the key to that? Is it just practicing your jump shooting mechanics?
Queen: No, I feel like I have good mechanics. Just probably reps.
Q: If I put you on the spot again, who's the toughest player to go up against in the NBA that you've had difficulty with?
Queen: Embiid, AD (Anthony Davis) and Jokić.
Q: Jokić is probably the best player in the NBA. But what makes him so difficult?
Queen: Jokić was just strong and very dominant. He was physical. They just had a very good game against me.
New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen drives with the ball as Utah Jazz center Kevin Love defends at Delta Center on Feb. 28, 2026. Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Q: You want to win as many games as possible before the end of the season. What is the key to doing that? Do you feel like you guys are gaining more chemistry as the season progresses?
Queen: Just keep building. Execute and trust in the game plan and just finish the season out strong. Just keep doing what we're doing.
Q: James Borrego is your head coach. Joe Dumars is your GM. Any key words of advice from those guys?
Queen: Just trust the work, just keep getting better.
Q: Talk about this partnership with Dairy Queen and when it began.
Queen: With DQ, it all makes sense of course, and then perfect time, because I did something briefly with them during March Madness last year and then it's the same time this year.
Q: Is that when it officially began, your relationship with Dairy Queen, right around the time of March Madness last year?
Queen: Yeah, because it was like a brief thing, and then us reaching out back to them, it was just trying to make it like a long-term thing, or just keep trying to build with them. Now it's like a great opportunity, because we did it last year around this time.
Q: I saw the commercial. How much fun did you have filming that commercial?
Queen: I actually had a lot of fun with it because it actually started something with acting. I told them, I want to be in a movie, like how Boban Marjanovic was in "John Wick" and stuff. This can be the start of something.
Q: So you want to do some acting moving forward?
Queen: Probably, like, probably just show my face for a minute or two in a movie or show or something like that.
Q: Anything else you want to get out there about your NBA career and Dairy Queen?
Queen: Just gonna see a lot more from me on the court, and hopefully more with me and Dairy Queen.
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