The New Orleans Pelicans have to get their priorities straight. Getting on a two-game winning streak and no longer being at the bottom of the Western Conference is nice. But this newfound competitiveness can’t come at the expense of their young players. Derik Queen getting benched in Dejounte Murray’s return is difficult to justify for a 17-42 team.

More important than moving to the bench for Queen was the fact that he only played 17 minutes and 31 seconds, the lowest of the ten Pelicans who saw the floor. In his stead, 37-year-old DeAndre Jordan played 22 minutes.

Jordan was good in the previous game against the Sixers and provides size and rebounding. James Borrego’s desire to keep him in the rotation is understandable. Playing him significantly more than Queen, however, is not.

DeAndre Jordan Playing Over Derik Queen Is Unacceptable

It’s not like the Pelicans were struggling in Queen’s minutes. Yes, the rookie center wasn’t efficient from the floor, but the Pelicans were +8 in his minutes. Even if he was playing poorly and the Pelicans were losing his minutes, Queen’s development should take priority over everything else in New Orleans.

The future of this team belongs to Queen. Not only does he need reps for his own development, but he also needs to build chemistry with Dejounte Murray, as well as the rest of the team. If the Pelicans are going to make a determination about Murray depending on his performance down the stretch, they need to see him share the court with Queen. Starting Murray but keeping Queen on the bench prevents valuable on-court time for two players to start meshing.

The same problem is occurring with Jeremiah Fears as well. The rookie point guard played fewer minutes than both Murray and Jordan Poole on Tuesday.

James Borrego’s approach is understandable. He wants to win more games to earn himself the permanent role. The organization is probably scared of the possibility of giving the No. 1 overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks if they finish at the bottom of the league.

However, the team can’t make decisions based on fear and job security. It has to have a long-term approach that prioritizes sustainable rebuilding. Starting a 37-year-old veteran over your lottery pick is directly opposite of what the Pelicans need to be doing. Pelicans fans aren’t surprised by the organization’s lack of vision at this point, but let’s hope that even a front office as incompetent as the Pelicans’ will come to their senses.