NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – To no one’s surprise, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is a clear favorite to be named NBA Rookie of the Year.
What was less predicted, at this point in the season, is that the Pelicans’ pair of rookies, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, are each serious contenders who could threaten Flagg’s path.
NBA ranks Pelicans rookies Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen at No. 6, 7 on this week’s Ladder(AP)
In this week’s ranking of the NBA Rookie Ladder, Queen holds steady at No. 3. There are times when Queen looks like the future face of the franchise. On Dec. 8, in a loss to the Spurs, Queen turned in his first triple-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists in 33 minutes. In the Pelicans’ recent win over the Bulls on Dec. 14, Queen only scored 4 points in 11 minutes as the matchup was more favorable for second-year center Yves Missi. However, Queen also efficiently turned in 8 rebounds and 5 assists on the road in Chicago.
Flagg’s recent 42-point game in a loss to Utah appears to put him in the driver’s seat. But if Queen can up his current averages of 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game closer to a double-double average, a real argument can be made for Queen as Rookie of the Year.
Fears moves up one spot this week from No. 5 to No. 4, and he’s coming off his most efficient game as a pro. In Dec. 14’s win over his hometown Chicago Bulls, Fears logged in 20 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals while shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. He’s been a catalyst behind the Pelicans’ current 2-game win streak, in which he has scored a combined 39 points.
Here are the complete Rookie Ladder rankings:
Cooper FlaggKon KnueppelDerik Queen Jeremiah FearsVJ EdgecombeCedric Coward Dylan Harper Ryan NembhardMaxime RaynaudRyan Kalkbrenner
Fears and Queen’s progress continue tonight as the Pelicans host Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. Broadcast coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on Fox 8 and the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network.
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