When the Pelicans traded up in the 2025 NBA draft to select Derik Queen, many people had their doubts, including me. New Orleans gave up a very valuable unprotected first pick and the No. 23, which later became Asa Newell, for a big man who had struggles defensively and as a shooter. While all those doubters might be right.
In the Pelicans' summer league opener, they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91. However, rookie Joan Beringer's dominating performance, which featured six blocks, wasn't the reason Queen's performance looked so poor; it just added to it. From a box score point of view, Queen had a great debut.
13 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5-of-9 shooting is pretty solid. But these stats don't account for the terrible defensive display Queen put on. The 20-year-old was getting destroyed in the post on the perimeter and in transition.
The size and physicality that he showed in college didn't have the same effect in his debut. While Queen has a large frame, he seems to be lacking the strength to dominate in the paint like he did at Maryland. When it comes to his passing, his three assists were paired with an abysmal seven turnovers. Queen struggled to be a playmaker the same way he did back in college.
This bad first performance shouldn't have came as a shock
A lot of people viewed Queen as an NBA-ready prospect coming out of the draft because of his offensive polish. However, he is much more of a project than people think. Yes, Queen is excellent as a scorer in the post and is quite good at playmaking out of the post. That being said, when someone is as poor a defender as Queen was in college and struggles shooting the ball, that makes him much more of a project rather than a finished product.
Even though there was a lot to dislike, I'll give Queen credit for the way he adjusted in the second half. In the first half, he had no points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, as well as 4 turnovers. However, in the second half, he scored 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, but turnovers still hurt him as he turned it over 3 more times.
While the turnovers were an issue that carried over to the second half, he did show that he has the ability to adjust in-game, which is something many rookies struggle with. He looked a lot more comfortable offensively, but still struggled severely as a defender.
While his debut left a lot to be desired, he still showed flashes of promise. Queen has a ton of work to do if he expects to get minutes this season, but let's not label him a bust just yet.