Derik Queen’s rookie season was very interesting. While he may not have shown that All-Star upside that a ton of fans were hoping he would, there were a ton of positive takeaways from Queen’s first NBA season. Moving forward, if the New Orleans Pelicans want to see their DQ investment pay off, he must develop into a high-level three-point shooter.
The biggest draw to Queen pre-draft was that, at 6-foot-9, he had guard skills that suggested he could develop into an offensive hub-type frontcourt player. His ability to look over the defense and make reads as a passer while still scoring like a traditional big man was very intriguing. For the most part, he carried those skills into his rookie season, averaging 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
The issue was that he wasn’t a respectable threat from the perimeter, which allowed defenses to sit back and wait to really step up and guard him. This often created opportunities for opposing bigs to roam away from the basket and provide help, leading to turnovers and blocked shots.
With an improved outside shot, these issues would come up a lot less, and the Pelicans' offense would flow much nicer.
Developing a three-ball is a key for Queen’s future
We know that some of Queen’s priorities this offseason were to get physically stronger and become a better rebounder, hence why he spent some time working out with DeAndre Jordan. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am all for this, as no matter where Queen lands either as a center or a power forward, being stronger and a better rebounder is only going to help him. However, even if those areas see improvement, the Pelicans will continue to run into the same problems offensively.
I understand that to some this may sound like a low bar for someone who was a lottery pick and the Pelicans really gave up a lot for, but DQ should look to mold his game after Naz Reid. When you look at Reid's build, he shares a ton of similar traits to DQ. Both players are 6-foot-9, can handle the ball, are tweeners in the frontcourt, not high-level defenders, and both have strong face-up games.
The biggest difference between the two is that Reid is an elite three-point shooter, and Queen is a high-level passer.
If Queen puts in the work to improve that outside shot and is even shooting 35 percent from three on over 2.5 attempts per game, that opens things up way more. It might even make it easier to stomach lineups that feature him and Zion Williamson because it still allows the floor to spread out. You add shooting to Queen’s bag and New Orleans would have one of the league's most versatile forwards.
Now, fans shouldn’t expect an immediate jump from his 26.1 percent three-point shooting on 1.1 attempts per game from his rookie season. What they should be looking for is a desire to improve, a coaching staff that allows him to take outside jumpers, and a steady progression that projects something special long-term. Queen becoming a reliable outside shooter was a natural progression toward him becoming an elite player in the league, which starts to take form in 2026-27.
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