Derik Queen addressed reporters on Monday, April 13, following a 26–56 season for the New Orleans Pelicans. He spoke extensively about development, consistency, and offseason priorities after playing 81 games in his rookie campaign.
Queen reflected on his first year in the league, saying, “I feel like my rookie season was pretty good. It had its ups and downs, just still learning and stuff, but yeah, been pretty good.” He finished the season averaging 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
His focus heading into the offseason was direct, with Queen stating, “My mindset and my body.” He expanded on his physical goals, adding, “Yeah. I’m trying to look like a DJ,” referring to veteran center DeAndre Jordan.
One of the standout moments of his season came in a rare statistical performance. “Both of my triple doubles yesterday,” he said when asked about personal highlights. “I think I don’t know. I think that’s it.”
When asked about late-game struggles across the team, Queen responded, “I don’t even know. I don’t know.” The Pelicans ranked outside the play-in picture in the Western Conference after a season marked by inconsistency.
Durability became a major talking point, as Queen emphasized availability. “That was my first ever game that I missed. So I’m not proud about that. I just missed my first game, my first in my rookie season.” He added, “I just don’t like missing out on stuff. And this is like my last stint of playing basketball. So I’m trying to take advantage of how many years I play and try to play all 82.”
Queen also credited interim head coach James Borrego for setting early standards. “He bring the juice for us and yeah, just keep bringing that just take that with me,” he said while describing the team’s preparation habits.
Chemistry with rookie guard Jeremiah Fears was another focus point. “Oh, yeah. I can’t wait. Both came in together. Both just going to keep getting better and just be by each other’s sides,” Queen said about their shared development path.
Veteran leadership also played a role in his growth. “It definitely helped a lot. He taught me, helped me a lot, guided me through my rookie season,” he said, referring to DeAndre Jordan’s influence in the locker room.
Looking ahead to a larger role, Queen addressed expectations directly. “Everybody believes in me. Everybody in this organization believes in me. So I just got to have that mindset. Just have that killer mindset just to go out there and just be the guy.”
