With a head coaching vacancy, Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver are set to name the Pelicans' next bench boss, which could define this entire next era of New Orleans basketball. Sunday afternoon, The Stein Line dropped a ton of intel into the early stages of the New Orleans coaching search, naming some very intriguing candidates.
Although it's still too early to have a clear idea of which direction the Pelicans plan to take this coaching search, one factor should remain central to this hire: finding someone who can develop their young talent. The 2025-26 season was brutal for both fans and players, as the team finished with a 26-56 record. However, one of the few bright spots was their rookie class, as both Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen developed incredibly well and ended their first NBA seasons strong.
The Pelicans must keep their young talent in mind
When the Pelicans traded up for Derik Queen on draft night, it was unclear how quickly he and fellow lottery pick Jeremiah Fears would contribute. Some evaluators (myself included) saw the tandem as projects that would need immense work behind the scenes and only kick into gear as they rounded out their rookie season. While the second part of that kind of remains true, as both Fears and Queen ended their rookie seasons on absolute tears, they were still very competent from day one.
Fears appeared in all 82 games during his rookie campaign, averaging 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Queen missed just one game, posting an average of 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
From the outside looking in, their rookie seasons were successful, but it was the post-All-Star break versions of both players that fans hope to see next season. Both rookies were moved to the bench, and that helped them with their control and decision-making. This is where James Borrego deserves credit, as he understood that moving them to the bench could help them develop the traits needed to maximize their skills. In the final five games of the regular season, Fears was averaging 30-plus points per game, and Queen ended the season with a 30-point, 20-rebound game.
Among the reported candidates, several have reputations for developing young talent. Brooklyn's Steve Hetzel is widely viewed as a strong developmental coach, while Darvin Ham and Rajon Rondo played roles in Ryan Rollins’ growth with the Bucks this past season. However, Borrego's pre-existing relationship with both Fears and Queen may give him one leg up on his competition.
All indications from Joe Dumars' end-of-season press conference suggest the goal for the 2026-27 season is to be a competitive playoff team. But what if that doesn't work out? It would be hard to once again deny the need for a full-scale rebuild. New Orleans has a dangerous approach with the front office building around two different time lines, and if it backfires, they need someone who can still maximize their young talent and future.
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