Coming off a strong rookie campaign, Jeremiah Fears is set for a big-time second year in New Orleans, and he may have just been handed a blueprint to achieve greatness from his new assistant coach. In his first year, Fears did everything Pelicans fans could've asked for: he played all 82 games, got better as the season progressed, and made an All-Rookie team. The question is now how he can build on that incredible start to his pro career, and assistant coach God Shammgod may have just inadvertently given him the recipe for being a great point guard.
In a recent interview with the Site Expert of Orlando Magic Daily, Philip Rossman-Reich, Shammgod talked about his time in Orlando and the new chapter he's starting in the Big Easy. He also talked about some general basketball and what makes a great point guard.
"For me, a great point guard and a great leader in general... the greatest leaders in the world are selfless leaders. They don't consider themselves leaders. Other people will say that they are leaders. They do things that might not benefit them at the time, but for the whole. For me, I always wanted to be selfless. I always wanted to do anything I could possibly do to help our team win," said Shammgod
Fears appears to be on his way to becoming a great guard in the league already, but Shammgod is right that every great point guard leads either vocally or by example, and that's the next step for him.
Fears' biggest leap won't come from the box score
From everything I know right now, it does seem like Dejounte Murray will be back at the helm running the show for the Pelicans, barring any blockbuster trade like a deal for Jaylen Brown. While to some, Murray staying put may sound like it's stalling Fears' development as a leader, it could actually be super beneficial.
Going back to last season, Fears really found his footing in mid-January, when he was removed from the starting five and placed in a sixth-man role. This made Fears see the game differently and helped him realize that, as a lead guard, he has to recognize first and react second. Putting him back into that sixth-man role to start the 2026-27 season would allow him to truly lead a group as part of the second unit and develop those traits that are necessary for a guard.
It would also give him more time to continue learning how to be a leader under Murray, who, in his own right, is a high-level leader and culture builder in the NBA.
Fears already has plenty of traits that typically align with those of a great NBA leader. He's very vocal on the court, whether that's with his teammates or sometimes opponents and officials. Fears also has that alpha-dog mentality, giving off the vibe that he really does always think he is the best player on the court. And probably most importantly, he understands the game at a high level.
Pair those traits with his willingness to lock himself in the gym, and new assistant coach Shammgod may help develop Fears into the type of guard New Orleans hasn't seen since CP3.
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