The New Orleans Pelicans drafted Jeremiah Fears with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and are quickly questioning that call after his playmaking woes during summer league. There were plenty of questions about his ability to be a primary creator coming out of college. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie pointed to his over-dribbling and turnovers as worries about his on-ball chops (subscription required). The 18-year-old did nothing to calm those concerns in Vegas.
Fears averaged 5.0 turnovers per game, and his new teammate Derik Queen was the only player to commit more at 5.7. The teenage guard struggled to make shots, but had zero issues firing away. The 6’3 guard looked more like a score-first combo guard than an on-ball creator, which creates a new set of issues for the Pelicans.
New Orleans needs Fears to become their point guard of the present and future. He should be setting up Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Derik Queen for easy buckets. That can’t happen unless his decision-making, handle, and shot selection improve.
Jeremiah Fears is clearly not ready to be a primary creator in the NBA
Fears is a talented guard and one of the youngest players in this draft class. New lead decision-maker Joe Dumars continues to bank on his upside. He knew Fears would need time to develop, but fans were certainly hoping for more playing against his peers in summer league.
Fears averaged 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 27.0 minutes per game. Those look like strong numbers until fans factor in he shot 40.0 percent from the field, 18.2 percent on his 3-point attempts, and committed five turnovers each night. The Pelicans went 0-5 in Vegas and were outscored with Fears on the floor in all but their final contest.
The known problems arising make things even worse. Fears was working on his weaknesses since his long college season ended to prepare for the draft. Having a 6’3 guard who struggles to knock down jumpers and play on the ball is a problem. If he can’t do either, Fears tops out as a bucket-getter off the bench and will struggle to impact winning, especially in the postseason.
It was a five-game sample in summer league. It is not the end of the world for Fears, but his decision-making must improve immediately. The Pelicans plan to contend. They made that clear by trading their 2026 first round draft pick to get Derik Queen. New Orleans can’t be playing a guard who averages more turnovers than assists and be competitive in a loaded Western Conference.
Jeremiah Fears has work to do. He needs to add strength, improve his jumper, and work on finishing inside, along with growing as a playmaker. The 18-year-old has the talent. He must put it all together to become a force in the NBA and live up to being a lottery pick. The start wasn’t what fans hoped, but it doesn’t change anything.
The New Orleans Pelicans made massive bets on two prospects who struggled in Las Vegas. Fans have to be nervous about the early days of Joe Dumars' tenure, but there is time for things to turn around. Dumars staked his job on trading up for Queen and dealing for Jordan Poole. Both seem like risky bets. All fans can do is have faith. If things blow up, Dumars may be quickly looking for work elsewhere.