Derik Queen interview | Pelicans-Spurs Postgame 10/24/2025

did I know it’s not that you know the results you wanted but being able to go out there on a handful of practices one game play 35 minutes and kind of hold your own the way you did what does it kind of say just about all the other preparation that you’ve been putting into this uh during the injury it was just like a a mental thing and um and it was like me battling every day just can’t wait to be get out there just me just putting in hard work so I’m get I’m glad it kind of paid off. Uh definitely had more in the tank, but um just on to the next and just keep on getting better and keep trusting the work. And then what does it just mean you to really trust you in late in games already second game trust you? Uh yeah. Um I mean we be having brief conversations. I feel like he know like what I’m capable of. Passing uh score. or I can set I can get my teammates open screen do a little bit on the def defensive end. So, uh everything he asked for I just try to go out there and do it. And what about just getting to guard and win your second game? What was that like? Yeah, like I mean it’s really not much you can do. Uh shoot over your contest um 77 and yeah that’s that’s say it all. Was that your welcome to the NBA? No, no, not really. I mean, welcome to the M moment probably be me getting dunked on, me getting bullied and stuff like that. I don’t feel like I got I got bullied and picked on and picked on and stuff. And current performer, you said this is uh the wrist surgery was the longest you ever been out due to injury, right? Yeah. So, I guess what was like what was that process like just trying to figure out how to mentally deal with it and make sure you’re up to speed, you know, once your number was called? Uh it was definitely just trying to keep myself happy, keep myself just keep uh being motivated, just talking to like my circle. Um just learning game, watching film stuff, asking questions, just be still be a part of the team. So um it was definitely like it was definitely hard for me. Never missed a practice, never missed a game stuff. So it was it was just it was challenging. And you and Jeremiah have been talking about, you know, just going through this journey together as rookies. Just how exciting is a game two to already be at the point where y’all both are out there finishing a game? Yeah, it’s great. I mean, I I keep telling everybody like Jeremiah Jeremiah the one and um and it’s just us us being u the two youngest on the team and coach got faith in us. I mean, even though we short-handed, coach coach got faith faith in us because we got some older guys. Um it I mean it says a lot and says like how like how we can compete at this level and how good we are. Was uh DeAndre was he coaching you a lot tonight? Yeah. He was what were some of the things he was pointing to? Just just always hit somebody, go grab every rebound and just like like little mistakes I made out there. What can a guy like him what can he do? Uh he can definitely be a a great great person. uh to be around for this year 18 for him. Uh big man play the same position I guess and um uh he he guarded the best. He was he was one of the best stuff. So just me learning from him and just and just picking his brain is definitely going to help. How was your first game? Uh it was great. Atmosphere was great. Uh energy was great from us. We um played hard, fought, fought, and then just came up short. You ended up playing 35 minutes tonight. Is that something that you thought was was possible coming into tonight considering you played like 15 in the first game? No. Uh I didn’t um I like once I got cleared, I didn’t like I I thought I was going to be the last man on the bench cuz I I haven’t had time to prove myself, do anything to uh to show that I’m ready. But um but I feel like the the few practices I did have is uh that definitely helped and I feel like co coach Green and all the other coaches know what I can do and see how hard I was working during my injury. Um two games there’s been at least two moments where you you take it at coast to coast. Do you take pride in that as your ability to do that as a big man? Um uh that’s just me playing my game. Like uh hopefully I get more opportunities to do that, do it more often cuz uh not even just making plays for myself, I can make plays for others. And then me just keep on growing in that aspect. Just it’s going to be tough to stop definitely with everybody we have on the team. Do you feel you have fun like play making for others? Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Uh it’s very fun. trying to think is my identity and um just showcase my game. And like I said, it’s it’s definitely going to be hard to stop cuz it’s not like a like a lot of us that can do that and then change the game plan and more opportunities.

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Derik Queen’s postgame interview after the Pelicans game against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, Oct. 24, 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

  2. For a rookie who’s had almost no practice time because of injury he was surprisingly productive. He showed a varied skill set. I’m looking forward to watching his development over the next few years.

Leave a Reply