We are at a stale point in the NBA offseason, where most teams are comfortable with their rosters and are gearing up for training camp.
While this time doesn't produce ground-breaking stories, it is the perfect time for fans to get hyped up for the newest version of NBA 2K. If you're unfamiliar with NBA 2k, it is the world's biggest basketball video game, and each year they release a new version of the game.
With the August 28th early release getting closer, 2K has started to release top lists for specific attributes. To this point, they've released the top 10 overall rookies and several other lists, including 3-point rating, driving dunk rating, block rating, etc.
Across the 11 lists released, the New Orleans Pelicans have had two players make appearances; notably, Zion Williamson was top 10 in driving dunk rating. The other player came as a bit of surprise, as Jeremiah Fears was ranked as the 8th best overall rookie at a 73 overall and has the 5th highest speed with the ball in the game at a 92.
Finally someone is respecting the Pelicans
Although a 73 overall may not sound like a lot for a rookie in 2K, that is an extremely encouraging number as it even puts him ahead of his teammate Derik Queen.
Throughout this entire offseason period, it feels like the Pelicans have been receiving so much hate for everything they've done during this offseason. That's why I was caught off guard to see Fears not only as a top 10 rookie but also in the top 5 fastest players in the game.
2K outlook on Fears is a refreshing one for Pelicans fans and may even lead to some more sales of 2K26 in Louisiana.
2K's reminder of Fears quickness should have Pelicans fans hyped about the future
Now, to anyone who has been following Fears a long time, one of his biggest strengths, even going back to high school, has been his unreal quickness. As a thinner-framed guard, Fears has always had to use his speed to get around bigger players and finish at the cup.
Coming into the draft, it felt like his quickness was something many, including me, overlooked. However, this list dropping from 2K has reminded me how unique his quickness is.
He has the type of speed that players like Russell Westbrook and John Wall possessed during their primes. A huge portion of Westbrook and Wall's buckets came because of their elite speed, as it made them almost unstoppable coming downhill. If Fears can master his speed the way these two did, the sky is the limit for the Pelicans' point guard of the future.
Although it was disappointing not to see Derik Queen on the top 10 rookies list, the amount of love 2K gave Jeremiah Fears made up for it.