Derik Queen on return to practice | New Orleans Pelicans

What’s it like just to be out there and be able to go through a full practice? Uh, it was great. Uh, very competitive, very tough, and it’s good to, uh, have my first day out. And what’s kind of the the main points of focus that the coaches are trying to tell you just early on just to get you, you know, acclimated? I mean, it’s my first official practice, so of course I make some mistakes. So, just keep going out there next play and just keep getting better. Is there how close I mean do you think is there like the ramp up period they said but when like when do you feel like you’ll be ready? Are you like 50 60 70 80%. Uh I don’t know. I feel like I’m ready now. I just went through a hard uh a hard practice. So just up to the uh the trainers and the coaches. Like where do you feel your stamina is? Do you feel like you’re almost ready for game action? Probably three more days. Two or three more days. I I feel I’d be good. And I guess I’m just saying. Do you feel like you understood everything that was going on out there? Yeah. I mean, I’ve been around uh them practicing and watching them play and stuff. So, yeah. I guess how different is it? Cuz it’s not like this is a knee or a foot is a wrist. So, you still able to run around and do stuff on the court. So, I guess how different is it to to to not try to rush it just cuz you’ve been able to move around this whole time? Yeah. I mean, risk is everything. Like, at first when I first uh when they told me I needed surgery, I was like, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” But like you really actually needed to do a lot uh and stuff. So I mean my legs was working. So just just trying to stay in shape trying to do uh I’ve been doing legs every day. So uh it’s like it was important for me to get back and take my time with it. Does it feel like like would you even know anything happened to your hand at this point? Yeah, low key. I mean, I I I was in a brace for two and a half, 3 months and then just going out there. Uh I don’t know. I didn’t feel cautious the day and stuff, but it it I can tell like it feel a little like feel a little off. It’s not like I don’t know. It felt good, but it’s like you can tell when something is. And Derek, do you feel a little more eager and wanting to get back and get into games because of what happened to Kavan Looney and his injury? I mean, yeah, but also need to take it day by day. Uh, I need to get better first and not and not to rush it out. Yeah. Early in the process, obviously, this is the first practice, but um is it the kind of thing where you feel like you have to be ready to play like four or the five or do you know like position wise like what you would be more likely to to play? I mean, I did five on 0, so I know the four and the five spots, but it’s like I said, just up to the PT trainers and and the coaches. For you, since you haven’t had a chance to practice with the team yet, rookie year, this is kind of like, all right, I am actually in the NBA now. I’m going to be on the court with these guys, or is that going to happen maybe Wednesday or when you get on in the first game? I mean, whatever the first game is, probably, but um, no, it’s not Chad. I mean, I’ve been around these guys for like a month, a little over a month. Uh, so it’s just like I’m just competing out there and stuff. So it it haven’t it haven’t hit me yet, I guess. Have you been able to back up any of your trash talk? Uh, yeah, today I Yeah. Yeah, today I was And you didn’t get the play, but just what what were your takeaways? Just getting to see Houston and Orlando up close and just how those guys execute. Uh, they’re good. They got really big lineup. Uh, they can shoot, rebound, and all that. Me and Virgo team.

New Orleans Pelican forward-center Derik Queen speaks with the media after Pelicans practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
#pelicans #nba #neworleanspelicans
Latest NBA News & Pelicans News @ https://www.pelicans.com

Subscribe to the New Orleans Pelicans YT Channel: https://bit.ly/PelicansSubscribe
Add the Pelicans Schedule to your Calendar: https://calendar.pelicans.com/
Latest Pelicans News and Updates: https://www.nba.com/pelicans
Latest NBA News and Updates: https://www.nba.com/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PelicansNBA/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelicansnba/
Find us on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/pelicansnba
Get the App: http://apps.yinzcam.com/nba/nop

6 comments
Leave a Reply