With the NBA Draft less than 10 days away, the Pelicans' pre-draft workouts are offering hints at who they may target with the 7th overall pick. So far, New Orleans has used 11 of its 20 available workout invites. Most have gone to players projected to go undrafted, which is a common strategy for evaluating two-way contract candidates and summer league options.
Still, the team has brought in a few potential first-rounders, including Will Riley (Illinois), Asa Newell (Georgia), Nique Clifford (Colorado State), and Egor Demin (BYU). Of that group, only Demin is in lottery conversations, though his stock varies widely across different mock drafts.
The most notable invitee, however, is Derik Queen. The freshman center from Maryland is widely considered a lock in the top 10 of this year's draft. His visit to New Orleans could hint at who the Pelicans plan on taking No. 7. Let's take a closer look.
Diving deeper into Queen's unbelievable offensive potential
During his lone season playing for the Terrapins, Queen stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. These stats accurately paint the picture of Queen's unreal offensive versatility.
Queen is a big man who loves to use his nearly 250-pound frame to bully weaker post defenders and create better looks for himself at the rim. He displays that old-school 90s basketball type of physicality in the paint, which makes him stand out from the rest of this year's class.
But Queen isn't just an old-school big. His advanced skillset, which features incredible touch around the basket, great footwork, and playmaking, makes him fit in modern NBA offenses. What makes Queen unique is his playmaking ability out of the block and high post.
He always has his head on a swivel, making it easy for him to hit cutters and open shooters when passing out of double-teams. Queen's playmaking is so special that he often made plays that many guards struggle to make at the college level. His ability to operate as a hub from the post has drawn comparisons to Rockets center Alperen Şengün.
When Queen isn't making the extra pass or getting double-teamed, he is typically dominating one-on-one matchups with an array of drop steps, spin moves, and pump fakes. These moves help Queen create separation in the tightest spaces and allow him to create clean looks for himself at the basket.
When it comes to scoring, Queen is damn good. His soft touch helps him finish at the rim with floaters and hook shots. He also has a great midrange game, shooting 46.4% from the midrange this past season. While Queen shot just 20% from 3 this past year, his midrange game and 76.6% free-throw shooting suggest that part of his game will come with time.
Where Queen still needs to improve
Even with how great Queen is offensively, his poor defensive production cannot be ignored.
Despite averaging 1.1 blocks per game, his lack of explosiveness vertically limits him as a rim protector. He is best playing in drop coverage, but struggles when switching onto quicker guards, often leading to blow-by-drives and free lanes to the basket.
At times, Queen gets sidetracked on defense, giving up backdoor cuts and biting on pump fakes. However, he has shown flashes as a defender, like against Penn State this season, where he had two blocks and four steals and was an absolute problem defensively. Still, those moments have been inconsistent, leaving many scouts with question marks next to his defensive potential.
So, how does he fit in with the Pels?
Queen could be precisely the type of player this Pelicans' offense needs. His playmaking ability out of the post would create easy three-point looks for shooters like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones.
His size allows the Pelicans to experiment with double-big lineups, something teams like the Cavaliers and Thunder have had great success with. Pairing Queen with Yves Missi would offer the best of both worlds, Queen as the versatile offensive playmaker and Missi as the defensive stopper
If Queen can continue to grow as a stretch five and a defender, he could become one of the NBA's most dynamic centers. His floor is already high as a skilled, post scorer and passer, with the upside swing being that he becomes a complete, do-it-all big man.
With the Pelicans bringing in Queen for a workout, he could be a great pick at No. 7. He’d be a wise choice as a blend of immediate impact and long-term potential.