{"id":191886,"date":"2026-04-10T07:04:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/191886\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T07:04:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:04:34","slug":"rookie-derik-queen-shines-as-nba-season-heats-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/191886\/","title":{"rendered":"Rookie Derik Queen Shines as NBA Season Heats Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA cubist interpretation of Pelicans rookie Derik Queen’s dynamic on-court presence, hinting at his potential to reshape the NBA landscape.New Orleans Today<\/p>\n

Derik Queen, the 13th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is making a name for himself with the New Orleans Pelicans. Nicknamed ‘Baby Joki\u0107’ by his college teammates, Queen showcased his offensive prowess in a recent game against the Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Joki\u0107, scoring a career-high 30 points. His ability to handle the ball, finish at the rim, and shoot from outside has impressed commentators and fans alike.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Queen’s breakout performance has sparked debates among fans and analysts about whether he is the real deal or just a flash in the pan. If he can sustain this level of play, he could become the Pelicans’ next franchise cornerstone, shaking up the league’s power dynamics.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

In the last three games, Queen has averaged 23.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists, a feat only matched by Zion Williamson among Pelicans rookies. His smooth ball-handling, finishing ability, and outside shooting have drawn comparisons to Nuggets star Nikola Joki\u0107, whom he outdueled in a recent matchup.<\/p>\n

Queen was the 13th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.In a recent game against the Nuggets, Queen scored a career-high 30 points.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Derik Queen<\/p>\n

A 6-foot-9 rookie forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, nicknamed ‘Baby Joki\u0107’ by his college teammates for his well-rounded offensive game.<\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107<\/p>\n

The three-time NBA MVP who plays for the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s incredibly skilled\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Antonio Daniels, Commentator<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

Queen will look to continue his hot streak when the Pelicans take on the Bulls tonight.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Queen’s breakout performance has sparked excitement and debate about his potential to become the Pelicans’ next franchise player, potentially shaking up the league’s power dynamics if he can sustain this level of play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a A cubist interpretation of Pelicans rookie Derik Queen’s dynamic on-court…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":191887,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":{"0":"post-191886","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-queens","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-queens","12":"tag-queens-headlines","13":"tag-queens-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}