The 2025-26 season hasn’t gotten off to an ideal start for the New Orleans Pelicans. The team currently holds the fourth-worst record in the league at 2-8 and also has the third-worst net rating at -12.9. On top of this, Zion Williamson has already missed the same number of games as he’s played, Trey Murphy III has been struggling, and Jordan Poole hasn’t met expectations as a starter. However, there is one major silver lining, which is that the franchise's two lottery picks both look like future stars and are reminiscent of a young duo that used to be in Houston.
Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have both shown a great deal to start this season and are beginning to remind people of the potential Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun showed during their early years with the Rockets. Queen is a silky-smooth big man, similar to Sengun, who can initiate offense and be a big-time playmaker out of the post. And Fears is a certified bucket who possesses incredible athleticism and plays with an unwavering swagger.
I will say that this isn’t an original thought of mine, as the article was inspired by a post made by draftday.hq on Instagram. However, ever since seeing that post, I’ve been unable to shake the comparison out of my head.
With this duo, the Pelicans are trending in the same direction as the Rockets
This comparison is spot on, especially when considering the situations both duos faced during their rookie seasons. Although the Rockets are contenders now, back in the 2021-22 season, they were a directionless franchise spiraling after trading away James Harden, and Sengun and Green came in and gave not only the fans but the front office something to invest in. While the Pelicans haven’t parted ways with a star the same way Houston did, they are a directionless, failing franchise whose only bright spot this season has been Fears and Queen.
I understand that Green’s time with Houston wasn’t very long, as he ultimately no longer fit into what the team was trying to do. And this led to Green being packaged off this summer to Phoenix for Kevin Durant.
In the Pelicans case, though, I think Fears trajectory already looks better than Green’s. While they do have a ton of similarities scoring-wise, as they both thrive in transition and getting to the basket. Fears plays with the type of control and poise that you just can’t teach a young player, hence why Green still hasn’t.
And as far as Queen goes, if he could become a third of the player Sengun has grown into, we are talking about a multiple-time All-Star.
The Pelicans are a ways away from competing with Houston in the stacked Western Conference. But, with Fears and the Queen at the helm, fans can rest easy knowing they have two pillars that are laying down the foundation for the future of basketball in New Orleans.