Derik Queen-mania isn’t just building, it’s growing into a mainstream chorus. The former Maryland basketball star is becoming a household name and uplifting one of the NBA’s most downtrodden franchises, becoming an immediate fan favorite with the New Orleans Pelicans. And he won’t be 21 until this weekend.

Queen’s ascent has continued at a steep angle this month. In nine December games, he’s averaging 16.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game on 59.4 percent shooting. Not coincidentally, bottom-dweller New Orleans is on a five-game winning streak, its longest winning streak since 2022. Before the streak, they were 3-22.

“What’s stood out in these games is Queen’s burgeoning skill set as a big man who plays more like a guard. Some of this reminds one of Nikola Jokić; like Jokić, Queen was overweight as a younger player, and like Jokić, he relies heavily on skill, guile and hands to make up for minus athleticism,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote on Wednesday. “Queen is a good high-post passer whose 4.0 assists per game leads all rookies who have played at least 20 games, but it was his work as a scorer that caught my eye in the Indiana game. How many centers in this league have multiple buckets in the same game where they started above the 3-point line, used a ball screen and took five or more dribbles before scoring?”

The Pelicans rookie is averaging 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and a steal while shooting 51.7 percent from the field through 30 games. A little more of this and he’ll cement himself as a first-team all-rookie selection. The only other Maryland products to earn that nod? John Lucas, Buck Williams, Joe Smith and Steve Francis. Lucas and Smith were the No. 1 overall pick and Francis was No. 2. Queen went 13th in this year’s draft.

Since becoming a full-time starter on Nov. 16, his role has expanded and so has his impact. New Orleans has leaned into Queen as an offensive hub during its recent stretch of improved play, with the ball in his hands more often and lineups built around his playmaking. His old-school, intelligent style of ball complements teammate Zion Williamson’s athletic explosiveness.

Earlier this month, Queen delivered one of the most unusual stat lines by a rookie in league history: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks against San Antonio. He became the first rookie ever to reach those benchmarks in a single game. He’s also just the fifth player in NBA history to record a 30-10-10 game before turning 21, joining Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Since 2000, only LeBron and Nikola Jokić have posted that stat line at any age.

His play prompted ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said to suggest the franchise get rid Williamson, who was expected to be a franchise player but has had lots of health issues.

“The Pelicans need to trade Zion Williamson ASAP, hand over the keys to Derik Queen and the kid (Jeremiah) Fears because he’s been balling as well, and go ahead and let those two grow throughout the course of the season,” Perkins said.

Queen has tied the second-longest double-double streak by a rookie in Pelicans history and is tied for the league lead in double-doubles among rookies. He leads all rookies in assists among players with at least 20 games played and is averaging more assists than any rookie center over the past 50 years, underscoring the guard-like role he’s filling despite playing in the frontcourt.

Podcaster and former NBA guard Jeff Teague called Queen “not normal.” His frontcourt-mate, Pelicans star Williamson, said Queen “gets better every game” and described him as “a special talent.”

But Queen continues to downplay the attention.

“I just be trying to play harder, rebound and go out there and be a basketball player,” he said after posting his third straight double-double earlier this week. 

The criticism surrounding the trade that brought Queen to New Orleans hasn’t disappeared, but he’s making it hard for critics to dwell on it.