To start the 2025-26 campaign, the New Orleans Pelicans have had a major unsung hero in Saddiq Bey. Coming off a team-high 22-point performance against the Mavericks Wednesday night, it’s more clear than ever that getting Bey as a throw-in as part of the Jordan Poole trade was a steal.
He was also a key factor in the team's first win the night before against the Charlotte Hornets, where he scored 17 points while shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. These two games aren’t just outliers, though Bey’s production as a whole this season is as he’s posting an average of 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting an absurd clip from beyond the arc at 42.1 percent.
Bey’s hot start has surprised fans and quickly made him a fan favorite, but should any of this really surprise fans? No.
Bey has always been a floor spacer, and his career averages of 14 points per game on 35.4 percent from three-point land prove that. Another intriguing aspect to note about Bey is that he's shown way more versatility offensively this season. Before his injury, he was someone who mainly relied on shooting to get his points, but now we are seeing him attack the basket off the dribble and use his big frame to punish opposing defenders.
Reminder that Bey is still just 26 years old and is only now playing his 5th season in the NBA, so it's not crazy to think there's still another level for him to reach.
Becoming a full-time starter could be in the cards for Bey with New Orleans
Per 36 stats aren’t always a great way to judge what a player would be like as a full-time starter, but in Bey’s case, they could be an accurate depiction of what he would look like as a starter. His per 36 stats read as 16.2 points per game, an even six rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 12.5 shot attempts per game.
This season, Bey has been the guy to fill in whatever role the team is lacking on any given night; he’s basically just been the ultimate next man up for the Pelicans. With that has come him having to start two games this season, in those appearances. He’s averaging 15.5 points, six rebounds, and over one assist…which is pretty darn close to those per 36 stats we just looked at. Coincidence? I think not.
With Zion Williamson still set to be out for the next little while with a hamstring and his future with the team in question, could Bey become the full-time solution in head coach Willie Green’s starting five? I believe so. Bey likely will never be a 20-point-per-game scorer, but putting him in the starting lineup would improve the team's spacing, rebounding and give the team someone they can consistently rely on to knock down open shots.
A starting lineup of Derik Queen, Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jeremiah Fears sounds like a great combination of defense, unselfishness, and spacing. Going forward, especially in the absence of Zion Williamson, this group is the obvious starting five.