The New Orleans Pelicans have dropped their ninth game of the season with their 125-117 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. In my opinion, the biggest factor in this loss was the poor lineup decisions that have plagued the Pelicans all season. Despite rookie Derik Queen coming into tonight scoring 11 or more points off the bench in all of his last five games, head coach Willie Green opted to start veteran big man Kevon Looney.
It only took a few minutes for this decision to prove to be a horrific one as Queen scored 12 points in the first quarter and finished the half with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, while shooting an impressive 8-11 from the field. So you think heading into the second half, it makes sense to start Queen to begin the third quarter, with a two-point lead at the half, having DQ out there could help New Orleans pull away.
So what did Green do, you ask? He decided to start Looney in the third quarter, who finished the game wita minus seven instead of playing his rookie, who was single-handedly keeping the team in it through the first two quarters. Portland started the third on a 13-2 run, and from that point on, it felt like they had total control of this one.
But Green's decision not to start Queen Wednesday night isn't just a move that impacts the win column, but it's also affecting Queen's development.
Not starting Queen is only going to stunt his growth
Queen finished tonight's game with a game-high 26 points, to go with seven rebounds, four assists, and was an efficient 12-18 from the field. These types of performances aren't normal for rookies, especially big men, and it shows the type of potential Queen possesses as someone who could be an All-Star one day. By refusing to start him, Green isn't only refusing to start the team's best option at the five, but he's also stunting the development of one of the most talented young players in the league.
You rarely see someone of Queen size be able to do spin-moves and euro steps or thread the needle the way he does, and it's even more rare to see a rookie not only do these things but play with patience and poise DQ does. He is a true once-in-a-lifetime talent at the five, and it shows how out of touch Willie Green is that he can't realize starting him will make the team better.
There were rumors heading into tonight that Willie Green may be fired if the team lost to Portland, but instead of a singular loss being the reason to cut ties with Green. How about ownership and the front office examining how he's hindering the development of a young player they gave up so much to acquire?