When the New Orleans Pelicans traded for Derik Queen's draft rights with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025 NBA Draft, the team faced a ton of criticism. Coming off a 21–61 season and a bottom-two finish out West, the decision to trade an unprotected pick in the following draft for a raw center prospect was a major risk.
However, after the All-Star break, the Pelicans came out hot and were playing their best basketball of the season, posting a 10-5 record through the first 15 games back while ranking in the top 10 in offensive rating. But that didn't last long as the Pelicans have dropped their last five straight games, and Derik Queen has appeared to take a massive step back.
In this five-game stretch, DQ is averaging 10.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from three. On top of the poor efficiency, Queen has also been horrific defensively as of late, as reflected in his 126.1 defensive rating and -28.9 net rating during this sample. Queen was never projected to be a good defender by any means. Still, his overall defensive incompetence has made him borderline unplayable, reigniting questions about the decision to mortgage the team's future to acquire him.
DQ's defensive lows have reached rock bottom
Queen's defensive efforts reached a new low on Sunday night against the Houston Rockets. In what was expected to be a revenge game after a close loss to the Rockets just a few weeks prior, it turned into a beatdown of the Pelicans, and Queen was a huge reason why.
Obviously, the offensive game for players of Queen's archetype is going to take time to translate from the collegiate level to the pros. That finesse-driven style focused on creating for others and being an offensive hub isn't going to transition from Maryland to the NBA swiftly, and everyone understands that. But defensively, as a rookie, even if that side of the ball is your calling card, you have to show something.
All season, I've advocated that DQ is better suited as a forward than a true center, but that isn't an excuse for how easily Alperen Sengun and Clint Capela handled the paint when he was on the court.
Not to say DQ doesn't compete, but his defensive effort is borderline zero, and that only gets amplified when he has poor offensive shooting nights, as he did against the Rockets. Shooting 5-for-12 from the field is passable if DQ is playmaking and fighting on the boards like we all know he can. But when he has 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, and is a -35 on the night, while the other team's center tandem has pulled in 27 rebounds, it's hard to turn and look the other way.
If Queen is ever to reach the ceiling the Pelicans envisioned when they traded for him, it all starts this offseason. DQ's biggest flaw is his strength and size, which hinder him as a rebounder and defender, especially against traditional fives. If he can get stronger and improve his rebounding and defensive instincts, he'll be a problem for the league—if not, he'll be a massive problem for New Orleans.