YOUTH: New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Class FAR EXCEEDING Expectations, Providing Hope For Future

YOUTH: New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Class FAR EXCEEDING Expectations, Providing Hope For Future

It’s the Black Friday episode of Locks on Pelicans and to celebrate, we’re going to be talking about the rookies and where they stand in their rookie class and how they are both, you know, all three of them are exceeding expectations and you’re getting two game previews for the price of one. Let’s get into it. You are Locked On Pelicans, your daily New Orleans Pelicans podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. Welcome to another edition of Locked on Pelicans, the daily podcast covering your favorite team, the New Orleans Pelicans. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. And now, the number one sports podcast network in the nation. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Join over 12,000 Pelicans fans on YouTube. And you can also watch us over on the GF Coast’s Sports and Entertainment Network. You’re already watching your Pelicans games over there, so you might as well come hang out with us. Also, I’m your host for today, Pelicans Insider, credentialed member of the media, Dylan Sanders. You can find me over on Twitter at Dilly Sanders, and I’m also the publisher of Pelicans Round Table, which a fun community of basketball fans. Come talk ball with me, man. All right. Today, we’re going to be talking about the the NBA releases a rookie ladder every weekend, and it kind of gives the top 10 rookies in each, you know, any given week. It’s kind of like a power ranking, but just for the rookies. Both of the Pelicans players, uh, Pelicans first round draft picks are above where they got drafted. So, I think that’s worth talking about. And also, he’s not included, but I think while we’re talking rookies, we have to share some love to Micah Peavey. He’s been great. So, let’s get into that. And and then the Pelicans are going on a twoame back-to-back road trip to California. Let’s talk about the let’s preview the games against the Warriors and the Lakers later on in the show. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Head to fanduel.com to get started. All right, I want to talk about this rookie ladder because I think it’s pretty interesting. the the rookies have been getting a lot of praise this season and rightfully so. But over the past couple of games, people have started to not really dog them, but you’ve started to see things unravel a little bit for them. The game speed’s picking up. We’ve talked about it a bunch. The game speed’s picking up and they’re starting to struggle a little bit, but I think it’s important to remember that these two players are both exceeding expectations and Micah Peavey as well. I keep saying these two players because there it’s two on the rookie ladder. Uh so let’s get into the the latter conversation because I think it it shows how good they are relative to where they got drafted. All right, number one. The number one rookie in on the ladder is Khan Canipple of the Charlotte Hornets. The Pelicans have seen firsthand he is one of the best young shooters the NBA has. It’s really really impressive. He’s on pace to uh smash the the rookie three-point record, which was uh Keegan Murray with 206 a couple years ago. And Keniple has had a really really strong start to his season. He had his first uh kind of stinker of a game a couple of days ago against the New York Knicks. Not shocking. That is a very good wing perimeter defending team. Uh he shot 0 for he was 0 for seven, six points, four rebounds. So that was his first real dud of a game and I think that he has he’s earned the ability to have that. Number two is Cooper Flag. He is like the superstar of this draft. He’ll probably end up being the the number one on the power rankings not too not too far into the future. He has had a really good couple of weeks and uh he he’s kind of found his footing after they stopped making him play point guard uh essentially. Uh, so he he’s looking better now. And let’s see, number three is Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies. 14 points a game, six point six rebounds a game, three assists, just overall really strong, and he is someone who’s way outpacing his ranky, his draft spot because he was drafted at number 11. All right, now let’s get to the first New Orleans Pelicans player on the board. It’s Derek Queen. Not shocking. He is the number one rookie on the Pelicans right now. He’s number three, I think, in betting odds to win rookie of the year. Number one and two are Canip and Flag. And that’s kind of a two-man race right now. But then that next guy is Derek Queen because he is doing so much so many different things and kind of in different ways. I think let’s look real quick at just how good he’s been since kind of given being given that starting spot. Not starting spot. Well, he is starting, but ever since he’s been put into the rotation more and more, getting at least like 20 around 20 minutes a game back in that Charlotte game, that first win, his his real breakout performance, he’s averaging 14.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and around a block. That is really, really good number. He is an offensive, not mastermind yet, but his offensive skill set is really special. He has the ability to kind of slow things down, make the game around him slow down, go at his speed, and whenever he’s doing that, he looks great. And he has been struggling a little bit against the uh in the faster paced offense. But you kind of saw in that fourth quarter against Memphis, he kind of started to click. He started doing some really good things against Zack Edy and then they took him out and then he didn’t play at overtime and the offense kind of fell apart. Part of me wonders if McQueen was getting those minutes, would they have been able to find a little bit of a shot? Now, the reason he didn’t get those minutes and didn’t get that chance is because he’s been a massive liability on the defensive side of the ball and that can’t be ignored because teams are able to like hunt him down. And that was kind of like the worry about him in coming out of the draft. He was he was a bit of a slower player. He doesn’t have like the defensive acumen of someone that you want playing center in the modern NBA, but I think there’s been flashes of it. He has really fast hands. He’s made some good reads on passes. He’s come through with some pretty big blocks. He had a block a big block in that game. He’s he kind of that’s kind of turned the the past couple of weeks that he’s been able to to do blocks over. But if it’s not like a steal or a block, he’s kind of lost on the defensive side of the ball. He doesn’t really know where he’s getting to. and that’s why he’s gotten his minutes shrunk a little bit over the past couple of games. I’m going to be interested to see how Berago manages his minutes going forth going forward. But to be the number 13 draft pick and through the first couple of weeks of the season, you’re fourth in the rookie rankings. Uh he he’s been rising. He this is the week where he had his uh big game against Nicole Joic where he broke into it and uh has he’s looked great ever since. And well, not ever since because he’s better. You know what I mean? You know what I mean. All right. Next is VJ Edgeum who was the number three overall pick. He kind of started the season off really strong and has been going the opposite direction of Derek Queen. He’s he’s hurt now. So, we’ll see whatever he comes back. He looks again, he looks really good. This is a really strong rookie class. He’s at number five, but number six is Jeremiah Fierce, who is again, it’s going to be one of those things like Jason Tatum. He’s only 19. He should be fear should be a freshman in college right now. He turned 19 less than 50 days ago. Really all really good stuff from him. He can get to his spots on the court. He can score a well. To be averaging over 15 points per game as a 19-year-old in your first 20 games of the season of your career is a really impressive thing. And like Queen, he has some very obvious places where his game needs to grow. But you have to be happy with where he is right now. There is he, you know, I I’d say right now he’s even a little bit further behind Queen in this new offense because he is he he doesn’t see the court I think as well as Queen does. But whenever he has the ball in his hand, he has the ability to drive. He can score at will. He’s starting to shoot a little bit more. There’s a lot of moments where you see him kind of start to shoot the ball, uh, shoot threes, and he kind of takes it back and then kind of tries to drive and then misses. His shot selection needs to improve. He needs to find that confidence to shoot threes. His three-point percentage has been great. It’s just the actual shots he’s been taking. Again, it’s easy to harp on him over the past couple games. He’s like a minus 28, minus 24 against the Grizzlies. the net the the net ratings, the advanced statistics don’t love him, but for where he’s at right now, I’d say the Pelican should be ecstatic. He’s another one that is way above his ranking. And lastly, before we go, I have to talk about Micah Bee. I keep talking about it. Uh Peavey has been great. He’s not part of one of the top 10 rookies in the class. He’s not going to be a top 10 player, but he does the right things. He’s a great defender, great all ball defender. He’s a great offball defender and he has found his niche on offense, which is cutting. Now, if he can develop a three-point shot, he’ll become a great role player because as of right now, whenever he’s shooting it, you don’t really have a ton of confidence that it’s going to go in. There’s still good floor spacing things where he has to take the shots just so teams defend them, but he’s just not making them at a good rate. I want to see real quickly. I didn’t have this prepped. I just want to see what his three-point percentage is right now. Yeah, it’s at 12%. And and it kind of it feels like it feels like it might be field kind of feels worse than that because those three-pointers came in bunches. Those those two Thunder games I believe was where his makes came. But where again exceeding expectations, he looks like a real NBA player. He’s a great on the defensive side of the ball. He’s rebounding well. He’s starting to steal the ball. He had four steals in the win against the the Bulls. and he’s a great cutter. So, there is a a lane to use him on the offensive side of the balls. So, again, all three of these rookies are massively exceeding expectations. And given that the Pelicans only have three wins, if you have if you if there’s anything you want to look good whenever you don’t have your own draft pick and you are losing a lot of games, it’s the young pieces that you can build around that look to be the future. I’d say all three of these draft picks are massive hits and a great win for great early win for Joe Dumar and Troy Weaver. All right, that was a long first segment, but let’s get into the break and let’s talk about uh the previews coming up next. The NBA season is heating up and Door Dash has found the perfect way to keep fans in their bag all season long. Whether you’re watching for highlights, your fantasy team, or just your favorite player, Door Dash makes every game even better. Door Dash is the official on demand delivery platform of the NBA and they’re celebrating with something called the bag drop. Every time an NBA player scores 50 points in a game, Door Dash drops 50% off your order with Dash Bash the next day and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win the ultimate fan bag. We’re talking player inspired drip, exclusive gear, and stuff you’re actually going to want. So, next time someone goes off for 50, use promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on Door Dash with Dash Pass. Plus, your shot at the bag drop. Dash Pass members only. 50% off up to $10 the day after a 50 point game with promo code. Terms apply. No purchase necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to US residents 21 or older. Visit door dashinyourbag.com for full details. Door Dash in your bag all season long. And thank you for making Lock on Pelicans your first lesson today and everyday. All my everydayers, come on. Drop your comments down below. I know you’re there. I know you’re here. You probably already have dropped it, but because that’s because you’re an everyday. And if you’re not an everyday dare, come on. What’s stopping you? We are here Monday through Friday, the number one’s Pelicans podcast, covering everything you want to know about this Pelicans team. So subscribe and watch us daily either on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast, or you can also watch us on the GF Coast Sports and Entertainment Network. We’re part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. And now the number one sports podcast network in the nation. Come on, join me over on Pelicans Round Table or you can find me on Twitter, Dilly Sanders. Twi twitter. I know it’s not called Twitter anymore. It’s definitely not called Twitter. You can come join me on either of those. Come hang out. Dylan Sanders here filling in for Jake Madison who is still on his honeymoon. All right, let’s get into these game previews because the Pelicans have a back-to-back over on the West Coast. It’s going to be some late nights uh watching these Pelicans play. If you could win at least one of these games, it would feel like a major major win. I mean, obviously a win is a win, but it’s two tougher teams, two teams that have already beaten the Pelicans in the Warriors and the Lakers. So if you if you escape with one of these wins, you have to feel good. Winning beating the Warriors would feel great because that would put you at two and one in your last three games. You’re starting to find things that click. It would be a huge confidence booster going into that Lakers game. And let’s get into this Warriors game because there was some major news about star Steph Curry that came out. Now, you never want to see anybody get hurt uh at all, but it will impact this game, so I feel like we should talk about it. Curry suffered a quad strain against the Rockets. Thankfully, it’s not a long-term injury, but he’s going to miss about a week, maybe a little bit more is what the reports say for Shams. Uh and so, he’s not going to be playing on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. And now on the game earlier this season against the the Warriors Pelicans game, they didn’t have Steph Curry at his best, but he was still on the court. And the only reason that the Pelicans were able to really slow him down is because they had Herb Jones on him. Herb Jones shut him down. It was a really good game. Curry had nine points uh on 12 two of 11 for shooting, five rebounds, three assists. It was actually pretty funny watching that game because there were a ton of Warriors games, Warriors fans inside the stadium and they were so upset that Curry was having a bad game. I mean, I get it, you paid money to go see Curry, uh, but that he didn’t really have a great game, but it was it was it was funny to watch. And Herb Jones had a great game. So, you don’t have Herb Jones and Micah BB’s done a good job off the bench as a defensive replacement, but he’s no Herb Jones yet. And so it would have been uh pretty hard to see them play against Steph Curry. Now without him, the Pel the Warriors do get worse this season, but they’re kind of a completely different team because whenever Curry doesn’t play, things run through Jimmy Butler, who is a much slower player than Curry, and that the team slows down. The offense ticks way down, but the defense ticks way up. So there’s not a huge change in uh net rating. They’re plus 2.5 with Curry on the court. So it’ be a minus 2.5 with him off the court. So that’s not a huge change, but it is a change. And that it’s really the change in philosophy that makes this game interesting to me because how do the Pelicans react to that? Do they slow things down and kind of go back through running through Derek Queen? Do they try and keep their speed and force the Warriors to match their pace? It’s going to be really interesting to see. Jimmy Butler was dishing the ball very well against the uh the Pelicans. Draymond Green had a great rebounding game, but those are two places where the Pelicans now look a lot better now that they’re playing with pace. It it it always is kind of like a trade-off. you know, one you find like a middle ground between the between the two teams. But I think more so than anything than any pace or assists, the way that that game would have looked a lot different is if you shut down the valve that was the Moses Moody three ball. He got off to a crazy start to that game. Now, he slowed down over the three quarters, but he had seven point seven three-pointers made in the first quarter. They scored 44 points in that game. And then after that, the Pelicans kind of kept it pretty close. They they still would have lost that game technically like because they uh lost by lost the other quarters. The point differential was still bigger, but it was a much closer game. After that, Moses Moody slowed down. And now they, you know, I asked James Bgo the other day about these role players that maybe aren’t the center of a game plan that kind of have these hot starts and how you shut that down. and he acknowledged that that’s a place like this Moses Moody game. There was the Grayson Allen game, but he pointed back to the Chicago Bulls game whenever Javon Carter came in off the bench, got hot, hit three quick threes, and then they’ve done a much better job of adjusting to whoever’s hot and shutting them down whenever they get hot. You saw it in the Grizzlies game. The Grizzlies multiple points like Jiren Jackson Jr. got off to a high or they he was he hit three early threes and then they kind of clamped him down. They went on a run later in the game and they clamped those players down. They have been a much better team at stopping those runs from happening. So, it’d be interesting to see how they adjust to Moses Moody on this game. He’s not going to catch them by surprise. That is for sure because they’ve already been torched by him. So, I think without Steph Curry, I like this matchup a lot more because I do think that where they are right now, I I think Derrick Queen has already been able to face Draymond Green and will have a little bit better of a time. There’s no Zack Edy on the court. Jimmy Butler’s good, but I’m interested to see like how Trey Murphy looks. Sadique Bay had a an okay game. Jeremiah Fears really kind of ate uh against the Warriors defense. That was a big José Alvarado game and these are players that, you know, we talked a lot about the rookies, how they’ve been performing. So, I think this is a big spot for them to step up. Jos Alvarado stay hot. José Avo really seems to like the fit in this James Burggo offense and that was like the that was the first game of the James Burggo offense and they, you know, kind of started to do those things a little bit better. So, I’m interested to see how they look more in tune to what James Bur wants to do. The biggest thing that ha that the biggest change in that game I want to see is they shot 56 the Warriors shot 56 three-pointers against the Pelicans 29 in that game in a game that was, you know, decided by less than 20 points. It was an 18-point game, so it wasn’t close at all, but that’s a big change. They made 24 more more three-pointers than the Pelicans did that g that game. And that is a thing where the Pelicans have made an effort to shoot the ball way more over the past couple of games. So that is a a place where they can make this look like very different than the first matchup between the two teams. All right. So find a way to control the pace and don’t let Moses Moody get off to a crazy start. You do those two things, I think the Pelicans will be in a good spot and maybe set themselves up to play with some confidence heading in to the Lakers game, which we’re going to talk to coming up, talk about coming up next. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or you know you just want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who’s going to score the next bucket to how they’re going to score the next bucket to if it’s going to be three-porter which they have everything that you could imagine pretty much. And if you want to uh combine some things, you can combine it to a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. Keeps every game exciting, especially whenever your team’s making that late push, which is something that the Pelicans have done. They’ve had, you know, exciting games late as of late. Right now, new customer FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets to use uh whenever your $5 first bet. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who’s going to score the next bucket, how they’re going to score it, which team is going to be, pretty much everything you can imagine all the way to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. Keeps every game exciting, especially whenever your team’s making that late push. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So head to fanduel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. All right, let’s close out today’s episode of Locked on Pelicans by talking about this Lakers game on Sunday night. And it’s going to look a little bit different than whenever the Pelicans played them a couple weeks ago. They lost lost that one 118 104. That was the last game of the Willie Green era. So, it’s going to look a lot a lot different on the actual court itself. But for the Lakers, uh LeBron James is back and he did not play in that game. LeBron James, no biggie, just even though he’s still 40, he is still one of the greatest players of all time. The greatest according to some people, I’m not going to tell you where I land on that because, you know, that’s a different conversation for a different time. But he is still super impactful. age 40. Uh he turns 41 next month, but he’s averaging 17 about 18 points, five rebounds, about nine assists per game. He he still is just incredible. Like even if he’s not scoring at the same rate as he used to, he is, you know, no biggie, just one of the best point guards around. And they have Luca still. So LeBron is going to completely change that game. Now, they’re actually a minus 10 net rating with LeBron on the court because he’s helping out their offense, but their defense is also a lot worse with him on the court so far this season. Again, it’s a three-game sample size, but it it’s still something to watch because the Pelicans off the Pelicans offense has looked really good over the last couple of games. They, you know, they’ve the games he’s played two games against the Jazz and a game against the Clippers. The Jazz were able to put up 140. The Clippers were able to put up 135. So, you’ll get another game of sample size against the Mavericks for the uh Lakers on later tonight. But, it’s a different team with LeBron on the court. And so, it’ll be interesting to see how they balance that, how they attack that. And I think if there’s a non uh LeBron player that’s going to be the biggest difference in this game, it’s not even going to be Lucas. It’s not gonna be Austin Reeves. DeAndre Eaton torched the Pelicans last time, but that was also because that’s whatever they were playing Cavon Looney. Eve Mei only had 10 minutes in that game and that is something that’s obviously not going to happen again this time. Eve Mei looks has looked really good and I think he is a great matchup for DeAndre Aiden. They’re both similar super athletic centers. I want to see how Eve Mei holds his own against DeAndre Aiden because DeAndre Aiden had 20 points, 16 rebounds. It was kind of like how Zack Edy completely changed the game uh in the Grizzlies loss a couple days ago. DeAndre Aiden did the same. And Aiden was looking really good before he got hurt against the Jazz in that second game. He missed that Clippers game, but it sounds like he’s going to be back for the Pelicans game. So, if he plays, he is like the biggest X factor for me just because of he’s going to be going up against a much different center room than he who was before. Uh that was a game also Trey Murphy had 35 points in the game. If he could do that while also getting Zion back, this game could look a lot different. The Lakers are really good. They’re really good ever since LeBron they haven’t lost since LeBron came back. They’ve won five in a row. Let’s see how the Pelicans can hopefully change that. All right. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching this week as I’m filling in for Jake. I’m going to be here for a couple more weeks and then of course make your second listen today before the weekend locked on fantasy basketball with Josh Lloyd holding it down. He’s incredible. He makes you a smarter basketball player, a smarter basketball fan, and a better fantasy basketball player. Go check him out and I’ll see y’all next week.

This episode takes a deep dive into the impressive progress of the New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie trio—Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and Micah Peavy—highlighting how each is outperforming expectations and climbing the NBA’s rookie ladder. Enjoy an in-depth look at their strengths, areas for growth, and why their development is a major positive for fans. The episode also previews two big upcoming games against the Warriors and Lakers, offering key updates, matchup analysis, and strategic insights on what New Orleans needs to do to secure crucial wins. Packed with rookie breakdowns and game previews, this one’s a must-listen for Pelicans fans!

Join the Locked On Pelicans Insiders: https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonpelicans

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPelicans?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
DoorDash
Next time someone goes off for 50, use promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on DoorDash with DashPass — plus your shot at the Bag Drop.
DashPass members only. 50% off up to $10 the day after a 50-point game with promo code. Terms apply.
No Purchase Necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to U.S. residents 21 or older. Visit https://DoorDashInYourBag.com for full details.
DoorDash — In your bag all season long.

DripDrop
Stock up now before the heat hits hard — and keep your body and mind performing at their best with DripDrop.
Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order.
Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code LOCKEDONNBA.

Wayfair
Don’t miss out on early Black Friday deals.
Head to Wayfair.com now to shop Wayfair’s Black Friday sale for up to 70% off.

Gusto
Gusto is the all-in-one, remote-friendly payroll and HR platform. Try Gusto today at https://gusto.com/lockedonNBA and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Robinhood
You expect more from yourself. Expect more from your money. Get started today at robinhood.com/yourmoney. Your money. Your move.

All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Options, futures, and crypto trading carry significant risk and may not suit all investors. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Futures trading is offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC and not SPIC or FDIC protected. Crypto offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840), not FDIC or SIPC protected. Portfolio management offered by Robinhood Strategies, an SEC-registered advisor.

Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting https://FanDuel.com to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#NewOrleansPelicans #ZionWilliamson #NBA #Pelicans