The New Orleans Pelicans haven't had the ideal start to the 2025 summer league. New Orleans is 0-2, losing to both the Lakers and Timberwolves. During these losses, rookie Jeremiah Fears has shown some promise, but also that he has a ton of work to do. However, New Orleans' depth at point guard will give Fears time to work on his flaws during his rookie season.
In just two Summer League games, the Oklahoma guard has flashed brilliance with 29 points, four rebounds, and two assists, but it hasn’t come easily. He's shooting an awful 9-for-32 (28%) from the field and has already racked up 10 turnovers. Even though scoring 29 points across his first two games is impressive, the lack of efficiency may raise some eyebrows.
Fears has struggled with trusting others in the summer league because of his time at Oklahoma, where he was expected to be the go-to guy every night. During his freshman year, Fears was their entire system, and adjusting to a lesser role in the NBA has been a challenge.
However, with the Pelicans' stacked point guard depth chart featuring Jose Alvarado, Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray, he'll get all the time he needs to develop. New Orleans isn't going to be relying on Fears from day one, and will be giving him the space he needs to develop and improve as a rookie.
Experience and decision-making are what most of Fears' struggles boil down to, which is very encouraging. It's not that he isn't skilled or lacks the makings of an NBA player, but instead that he needs time, reps, and coaching. The poor shot selection and high turnover rate are struggles that'll only improve over time.
Fears will get the time he needs to work out these kinks
Alvarado, Poole and Murray will consume a ton of minutes at guard for the Pelicans, giving Fears the space to continue to learn and grow without being thrown right into the fire. This will only help Fears development as it puts him in a lower-pressure situation than a lot of other rookie guards face.
Originally, it was expected that Fears would come in and have an immediate impact, but after the summer league, it's clear he's going to need more time. There is no better spot for Fears to develop than in New Orleans, as he'll have the time he needs to work on his game from the jump.
While summer league has been a struggle for Fears, his role there doesn't at all resemble what his role will be this regular season. His two struggles, turnovers and shot selection, are only going to improve with time. Though he's still extremely raw, don’t be too surprised if Fears delivers one of those signature breakout games.