The Pelicans Have Their Eyes SET On These 3 Players | Derik Queen, Kon Knueppel, Jeremiah Fears

The Pelicans Have Their Eyes SET On These 3 Players | Derik Queen, Kon Knueppel, Jeremiah Fears

Now that we know the Pelicans are locked in with the seventh pick in the 2025 NBA draft, it’s time to start turning our attention to who exactly should the Pelicans look at and who are these guys. So, we’re going to break down a couple of these fellas right now in the Pelican Scoop. Cue my music. This is the Pelican Scoop with Jordan Kitchens. Breaking down everything under the sun about your New Orleans Pelicans. Smash that like button, leave a comment, and subscribe to stay on top of your Pel’s content. Now, Running Point, here’s Jordan. What is good, YouTube? Welcome back to another edition of the Pelican Scoop. I am your host with the most, Jordan Kitchens. And ladies and gentlemen, now that we know the Pelicans are locked in with the seven pick, it’s time to figure out who the hell is going to be there at the seven spot. Who the hell are these people even looking at? And who the hell are some of these guys? Because, you know, a lot of you guys don’t follow college basketball. And I get that. It’s it’s it’s a it’s a lot different than the college basketball was 10 15 years ago, but that does not matter because of the matter at hand. The Pelicans have a top 10 pick and we have to get to the bottom of this. So, I have three guys for you. I have three guys. You know, maybe we going to keep this a series, you know, maybe break down a couple more guys. You know, y’all let me know down in the comments. Maybe I can find a way to actually do like a film type of breakdown cuz it’s it’s I’m trying to play around with the copyright. You know, people be copyrighting, taking your video down, striking and all this. So, I don’t want to sit there and use too much of their type of content, just like a little snippet of what I feel like this is what this player brings, you know, what this is what this player can bring to the team. So, I kind of have that a little bit about these three guys. I couldn’t really do little too much cuz I don’t know how the copyright rules and all that works. I’ve been strike before and I don’t want to be stried again. So, let me give you guys some context first. So, what position should the Pelicans be eyeing in this draft? Could it be another big man? Now, you’re like, “Well, hold on. Eve me. What’s going on, man? It’s not necessarily Eve Mei. It’s more to fill that fourth spot because Joe Dumar’s already went on to the Hoop Genius podcast earlier this year. Well, right after he got um signed by the Pelicans, he was like, “Look, the way how the NBA is moving, the way I envision this team is that they need two dominant bigs.” Like, look, look, look who’s left in the playoffs right now between Minnesota with Rudy Goar and Julius Randall, between OKC, Cadet, and um Hardenstein. Denver has the greatest one of the greatest centers to ever bl up his kicks in Jokic with Aaron Gordon who’s still a viable big he’s still a great four right he’s gonna rebound he’s going to defend and then between the Knicks I know Boston’s on his last legs but look look at all these teams that are still left sized you know Cleveland just got eliminated with Moy and Jared Allen so Joe Dumar did say that he does envision that that’s where that’s the route that this league is going and that’s what the route he wants to take funny because people like to say the double bigs or this the new double bigs era double bigs coming back when it’s just a traditional power forward and center that the way how the NBA was built on. But, you know, that’s a whole conversation for another day. So, could the Pelicans find themselves taking Derrick Queen if he does fall into your lap? I Derek Queen will be the last guy we bring down. So, you got to stay for that or you you got to stay for that. And I’m not going to do Derrick Queen first, but or they could take a point guard or another guard spot. You know, Jordan Hawkins hasn’t really lived up to the bill. You’re going to be without Deonte for the foreseeable future. I mean, how many more seasons you have left in CJ McCullum? So, the guard spot is very wide open for the Pelicans. Again, it it seems like it’s always the point guard in the center position. They can never get right. We got a a surplus of wings and whatnot, but oh, they can’t get a good point guard to stick around to save their life. We going to start it off with the first guy. His name is Jeremiah Fierce. He’s a 6’4 180 guard from Oklahoma. More necessarily a point guard. Now, before I pull up his stats, matter of fact, let’s pull up the stats right now. That’s how we going to go. I ain’t going to sit here and yap. Let me just pull up the stats and I’mma yap. So, as you see from the stats pulled up on the screen, he averages 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, 1.6 steals. So, he’s a very pesky defender. Very pesky. He’s gonna sit in that he’s gonna sit in that chair, right? But, but you’re like, “Oh, good numbers.” You know, 43% from the field, could be a lot higher. You like him be a little bit more efficient. Shooting 27% from three. That scares me at four attempts a game. So, he’s he’s getting threes up. He’s just not making them. But the thing about fears, and I think he just suffers from being on the team with no other help. Like, this Oklahoma team last year was not that good. It was really just him and his other senior guard named Moore. So, he was he’s getting a lot of shots up. He’s shot chucking and I get that. So, that’s why his efficiency might not be the best, but he lives up to his name. Jeremiah Fierce. No, he’s very fearless. So, I’m going to show you guys what he looks like right now. Fears on the drive. Cut off. Steps back to find a little space. Here’s Fears. Beet trying to stay in front of him. Floater good. There’s Fierce curling off the screen. Throws it up and he throws it. Fierce dances around Williams. That was awfully impressive. His vision of the big picture and they’re being rewarded this year. They’ve been absolutely unbelievable. Onion guard Jaylen Moore. I think Jaylen Moore can be an all league player by the end of this. He’s playing like it so far this season. Well, it’s nice to be home again. your grandmother used to work in the president’s office. And the link to the highlights for all these guys will be in the description so you can get a further view. But the way that I perceive Jeremiah fears and my thoughts about him is that yes, you’ll be great for the Pelicans because you definitely need scoring. You’re going to need scoring. That was our biggest problem last year was scoring defense and scoring because it felt like a certain point without Zion, you really and and let’s god forbid Trees out like you said, you had nothing, right? CJ was slumping and injuries just riddled you. So you definitely need scoring cuz Jordan Hawkins was supposed to be that and he hasn’t lived up to that. But Fears is the way I get more about Fears is like a Now listen now hear me out when I say this. I am in no shape or form coming out and saying that Jeremiah Fears is Kyrie Irving. I’m not saying that Kyrie Irving is a top 75 player of all time. I mean Kyrie Irving probably one of the greatest handles of all time. But Jeremiah Fears he has a little you could tell he takes a little bit from Kyrie. He he definitely molds his game after Kyrie Irving between his craftiness coming off the pick and roll. He’s got a nice floater. He’s got he’s fearless. He’ll shoot any shot. He’ll take any shot. And honestly, he’s a that’s what you need, man. You need guys with some kahunas on this team and fierce. He’s a dog. Lives up to his name. Now, I’m not going to say it’s Kyrie Irving. If you guys know this guy, it’s a deep pull. And you might be like, “Well, why are we competing on him?” Guy named Trey Man. So on the Charlotte Hornets, he was going to win the sixth man of the year this year, but he got hurt and then the Hornets were the Hornets. But in the beginning of the season, he kind of got he has a lot of Trey man in his game where he’s just like kind of like a Allen Iverson type of See, I’m I’m naming all these cold superstars. I’m not saying this guy’s the next Allen Iverson, the next uh Kyrie Irving, but you could tell he models his game. That’s the way he plays the point guard position. Kind of like that, an attack first scoring guard, right? He can make a pass. He’s he’s great off the pick and roll. He’s good throwing lobs. Both hands, finishing with both hands. That’s what you like to see. He’s ambidextrous. I’ve seen him pass with both his hands. I seen him make layups with both his hands. I know. And yes, you’re like, “Well, that’s a skilled pro supposed to be able to finish both.” Not necessarily. Like Zion is really good with his left. And you really wish sometimes, bro, Zion, you can go with your right. Like we know your right hand is strong. You just favor your left a little too much. Fears on the other hand, Fierce is fearless. So yes, with Fierce and that pick and roll with Zion or Mei going downhill, then he can be able to create for them. create off that pick and roll, pull up mid-range, shoot that or sit here, dump off, lob, got some lob threats now and he’s I feel like he’s a point guard that can do that. He’s very crafty. That’s what I’ll say. He’s crafty. I keep saying crafty because that’s the way he how he is. Especially when it comes off that pick and roll and he’s sitting there doing one of those and might do do a little floater or whatnot. So, I do like fears. You wish it was a little bit more efficient, but I I just think that just suffers from being on a bad team in the NBA. You’re not going to be able to sit there and get all these shots up. So, we all will see like these guys were growing. Dude was 18 years old, man. This dude born in 2006. The next guy that I see mocked to the Pelicans a lot is Khan Kenobyl, the 66 guard from Duke. Cooper Flags teammate who was also is a five-star freshman coming into Duke. So, let’s get to Kenopyl. So, as you can see, he averages 14 points a game, 3.9 rebounds, so basically four 2.8 assists, so basically three a steel. He’s very That’s a little about about his defense. He’s not He’s not going to be a great defender NBA. He’s honestly going to be I get it. He’s white, so he’s going to be hunted on defense. That’s how it’s going to be when he first gets in the lead. They’ll hunt him on defense. I did see his draft combine numbers. His arm length is like he’s like a 6’5 wingspan. So, he has little arms. Not little, but like they’re not he’s he’s not no long armed guys. But what I really like about Kenobi is that he’s shooting 47% from the field, shooting 40% from three, but also 90% from the free throw line. 91% from the free throw line. So, he’s one of the not easily just one of the best shooters, but one of the best scorers in his draft. Like, I think he’s a little bit more than just a shooter. is the lazy comp to be like, “Oh, white guy that shoots the ball, Kyle Corver. All right, this guy, uh, Cory Kissper, you know that I don’t really see that with Khan Canopel.” Granted, this will be his peak if he does hit this. This is what I think the best version of Kenopa will be. Let me show you how he plays first. He gets the step out, the pull up, not just a in this half. Only two of nine from distance. Cano with the dagger. veteran, more physically imposing player. Nipple drives lefty. Nice little reverse layup and inipple for three. Big shot in now trying to help his team get a win. Banging with Jackson and bangs it in for North Carolina. That’s light up as a Charlotte guy. One triple after another follow. And as you can see how he plays, I really feel like the absolute ceiling for Kan Kenobi is like a poor man’s Manu Genobbi. Poor man’s Manu Genobbi. I’m not sitting there saying poor man like to in a diss in any type of way because Manu Jenobi is a Hall of Fame player. So that’s what I’m saying. Poor man’s Manu Genobbi cuz he has a handle and he’s great off the pick and roll. That’s what I do like a lot about these guys. They are great off the pick and roll and that’s what the Pelicans need. We need way more good passes off the pick and roll. It’s like when Alfred Peyton came here, it’s like, damn, this is what it looks like when a point guard knows how to pass the ball in the pick and roll. We could have been doing this, not having CJ McCullum call the pick and roll and just shoot the ball or Jose, you know, do whatever like, oh, this is what it looks like. And I think Kenobi, he’s there’s plenty of evidence out there. Like I said, all the links to all whatever you need to see will be in the description below. plenty of that of him lobbing the ball to Malw walk the center or him coming out the pick and roll and finding a guy in the corner getting the ball and just short roll moving like Khan Canopel can move with the ball in his hands or without the ball in his hands. People like to say Clay Thompson I get that cuz he’s a shooter and whatnot but I think he can if Khan Kenobyl is in the right system. That’s what I say about Kenobyl. It all depends on where he goes. And I just don’t feel that him coming to New Orleans in a system with Willie Green that also has Jordan Hawkins who can’t reach his full potential in this Willie Green system. So what would another bringing another guy that needs screens and needs to be able to move without the ball? What bring him in? I don’t know. I don’t know if that this would be the best fit. But if he goes to the right team and the right system, the right coach that knows like, you know what, we can put the ball in this guy hands. We don’t need him just sitting here running off a million picks and just shooting spot up threes like like I said like he’s Kyle Corver just another regular white guy from Duke. JJ Reic. I think he’s a lot I think he has a lot more to his game and I just think if he can really tap into that ball handling not necessarily Austin Reeves. Well, Austin Reed is a great passer too. So, okay, Austin Reeves is a great passer and Austin Reeves has a good handle. Now I’m thinking about it, but like I just see that off the bench Manu Janobi give the ball. Let him come up the court, you know, just do the crafty. All these guys are crafty. All these guys are crafty. Especially this last guy you about to see. So that’s my take on Kenoba. I think that his ceiling will be like a monoi. His floor all depends on where he lands. Like worst case scenario might be like a gimmer for dead. I know you I know I’m using white guys and it’s like oh you know of course the white guys got to be the white guy but like maybe like a gimmerred that’d be the floor but I think if he really taps into his potential monuyesque Austin more man more poor man’s monogeni more than Austin Reeds but I just like that I just like the way how he comes how he approaches the pick and roll. I just like how he moves with the ball in his hands and without the ball in his hands. There’s plenty of times at Duke where he’s going downhill. He’ll pass to the guy in the corner or oh, swing, swing, got it. Pump, fake, attack, make the defense collapse, boom, pass it out. Like, there’s too many times I see him do that, not take stupid shots, you know, take a stupid contested shot. He’s very high IQ. Of course, the high IQ, sneaky, athletic, you know, that that’s what I feel about Kenoba. Now, the final guy that we’re going to break down today is Mr. Derek Queen. Mr. Baltimore. I’m from Baltimore, too, dummy. All that. Mr. Baltimore himself, Derek Queen. I mean, where do you want to start? Let’s let’s break down the stats first. He’s a 610 freshman center from Maryland. Like I said, Baltimore from Baltimore. But at the same time, he got measured in at the draft combine. So, he’s 69 without shoes on. So, he’s a true 610 with shoes on. So, so he’s a true 610. And I think that that is perfect next to me because he can kind of stretch the floor. Now, you look at his stats, you see that 19% from three. He’s not I don’t I I honestly I have no idea how is his three that low because when you watch him in a tournament he was plucking like you had to go out there and respect him in the tournament. So I guess it just throughout the season he just could not buy a shot. But I think he can grow into that. So he averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, 1.9 assists, which is shocking because he’s a great playmaker. He has a great handle. It’s very shocking. 1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks at 52% from the field. great 75% from the free throw line, but he averaged 0.9 three-point attempts per game. But if you go look at Derek Queen’s best games, he’s hitting at least he’ll shoot at least maybe four threes and make maybe two of them. Like his better games, he can hit a three and you have to go out there and respect him. So if he’s able to just make two threes a game in the NBA, he’s going to be able to stretch the floor off his iron, right? You going have E me where he needs to be and Derek Queen. So I’m going to show you guys how Derrick Queen plays. Intercepted. He threw it right to Queen. Maryland down by 11. Oh, he got away with it. Discard hangs. Banks and good. Michigan up by one. Swing. Queen the three. Bottom. Good getting pitch Morris going at Julian Reo. I like that. Queen’s got a bucket to Indie. You’re in tournament mode right now. They feed Derek Queen. Queen. What a Queen jumping higher than Harding. Now he goes to work against a smaller defender. [Applause] Here’s the double right away. Right by it with the Yeah. made the tournament his first season. It’s a great block right there by Queen. Yeah. I’m telling him he never had a chance. Queen came out to challenge that limb. go to work on Angel now baseline. I’ve seen it a couple of times. But I do highly advise you guys go watch Derek Queen full season like what he really does bring because I’m telling you this kid can playmake. Like this kid can pass. This kid is a good playmaker. He has a great handle. That little little snippet that I be giving it just doesn’t do him enough justice cuz he I’m not going to say he’s a unicorn like he’s a must that you can’t miss prospect but he’s a little bit of a throwback. Now, when I think of Derek Queen, I do think of like a a young Al Jefferson a little bit. Not necessarily Zagron. He’s got a little bit more bounce than Zebo, but he has Zeboesque. Now, I really Derek Queen, he he does scare me a little bit because I think he will only reach his full potential if he does lock in with his body, right? You can tell that he’s kind of got the build to put on a little bit of weight. You know, if he gets a little bit lazy or whatnot, he might put on a little bit of weight. And that’s a little scary when you’re in a city like New Orleans. Oh, brother, that’s super scary. as we’re dealing we’ve been dealing with something like that for a while. You know, some we have had those problems with players in the past. So, that does scare me a little bit is that you can tell that from his build and man, especially when he was like, “Man, I got me a um Jimmy whatever. Jimmy Crabcake, Crab Shack, uh NIL, whatever he got out there in Baltimore.” He was like, “Yeah, got me a Jimmy Crab Shack NIL.” So, he likes to eat. So, big fella like he’s a big old boy, man. So, that does scare me a little bit. But I do think that Dererick Queen, I like all these guys. Obviously, if I’m doing a video about all of them, I I do think like any any one of those guys I’d be okay with. Especially Derrick Queen. I that’ll be the best case scenario. I just don’t see him falling like that. Even though falling to seven sounds kind of outrageous, but he’s he’s highly touted, especially that he came in taller than what they was expecting. They was expecting him to be like, they was they was basically expecting him to come measure in at like 6’8 without shoes on. So, he came in at 6’9 and a half without shoes on. So, with shoes on, he’s 6’10. Like, oh no, this this kid can play. And he got the long sleeves, you know. We bring back the long sleeve hoopers. All right. We need that. Need that. And also, we need a dog. Derek Queen is a dog. Derek Queen brings toughness. Derek tells the coach, “Give me the effing ball. Goes out there, hits a gamewinner. I’m from Baltimore. I ain’t scared of nothing.” That’s what we need, man. This team needs a dog. Derek Queen would be a goon. Think of Derek Queen next to Eve Me with Zion. Trey, I don’t know which have the point guard sp. I’ll go play point guard for all the care. I’ll go play point guard out there for the team. But I just think Derek Queen would be the perfect scenario for that seven pick cuz you’re in the seventh spot. So it’s like he falls to you. Great. Now a lot of people disagree. So like y’all let me know down in the comments what do you guys think. What do you guys think this the approach this team needs to take? Do they need to take a Derek Queen? Do they need I mean a center to fulfill this does Joe Dumar’s fantasy of having two good men? Or do they need to invest in another point guard? They can just find a way to get a sign some type of point guard. I mean what what do you guys think man? Y’all let me know down in the comments. Should I yall let me know down in the comments if I should do more in depth of these players because like I said it’s hard to maneuver around this this copyright stuff. But I’ll figure out a way for you guys if you guys want that because I really want to really dive into Derek Queen like really dive into Kanoba. I can just give you guys this right. But if if they allow it, I’ll do it. So y’all let me know down in the comments what you guys think. Man, I just think we need a dog. I was all these guys are dogs. Fears is a dog. Canopyl a dog. Canopyl a dog. Man, if you gonna be Canop’s a dog. I be Canop’s a dog. Don’t be confused by how he look like he looked. No, Kenop’s a dog. You know, like I said, Fierce like the man last name is Fierce. Derek Queen. I’m from Baltimore. Dogs. So, yo, y’all let me know down in the comments, man. Or you guys think we should trade the pick. So, like I said, y’all just let me know. And I’ve been your boy Jordan Kitchens and I’m signing out. Peace.

On this episode of the Pelicans Scoop, Jordan Kitchens looks into who should the Pelicans select with the 7th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Queen: https://youtu.be/yegU3DqxtPs?si=FHO_IB49eYCxk_DX
Kon: https://youtu.be/ASq5zh6deJ4?si=LTTQnT0kpR4AfHYe
Fears: https://youtu.be/h5SFQdQLpy0?si=YxCwUmKzyrMBxH0z
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