{"id":150852,"date":"2025-07-17T15:12:44","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T19:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=150852"},"modified":"2025-07-17T15:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T19:12:44","slug":"new-orleans-pelicans-jeremiah-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/17\/new-orleans-pelicans-jeremiah-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans Pelicans: Why Jeremiah Fears Might Be the Spark They\u2019ve Been Missing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeremiah Fears and the New Orleans Pelicans, that\u2019s the new combo fans are buzzing about. And honestly? It might be exactly what this team needs. The 2024\u201325 season is not exactly a highlight reel for the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>. They wrapped things up with the fourth-worst record in the league, which earned them the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Not great, but not hopeless either.<\/p>\n

Despite the rough ride, the Pelicans still have something many struggling teams don\u2019t: a talented young core led by Zion Williamson<\/a>, Trey Murphy III<\/a>, and Herb Jones<\/a>. But even with that trio, it was clear what they were missing: reliable playmaking and scoring from the backcourt. Enter Jeremiah Fears.<\/p>\n

Meet Jeremiah Fears: Confident, Quick, and Ready to Run the Show<\/h2>\n

The Pelicans went with Fears in the draft, a fearless point guard out of Oklahoma<\/a> known for his sharp scoring instincts and high basketball IQ. This wasn\u2019t just a move to fill a gap. It was a bet on a player who could reshape the team\u2019s offensive identity.<\/p>\n

At Oklahoma, Fears wasn\u2019t just good, he was clutch<\/a>. He averaged 17.1 points a game during the 2024\u201325 NCAA season and made a habit of stepping up in big games, especially against top SEC competition. You could see the poise. The leadership. The “give me the ball, I got this” kind of energy you want in your floor general.<\/p>\n

And once Summer League rolled around, Fears wasted no time making noise<\/a>. In his first four outings, he put up: 16.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.<\/p>\n

He showed speed, control, and shot-making, exactly what Pelicans fans were hoping to see. More importantly, he looked like he belonged. No wide eyes, no nerves. Just smooth decision-making and the occasional \u201cwow\u201d play that hinted at what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n

From the Chi to the Big Easy, with Some Big Expectations<\/h3>\n

Fears isn\u2019t just another prospect, he\u2019s already getting props from some pretty legendary voices. Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard (and fellow Chicago native), gave Fears a glowing nod, placing him in the same conversation as Chicago guard royalty like Derrick Rose and Tim Hardaway.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a boatload of Chicago point guards you have to live up to,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cHe understands the assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fears does more than understand it, he\u2019s embracing it. In a Summer League interview, he didn\u2019t hold back, saying he aims to be \u201cone of the Top 2 point guards of all time\u201d within the next 10 years. It was bold. Maybe even a little over-the-top. But hey, confidence matters. And if you\u2019re going to survive in the NBA, especially as a rookie guard, you better believe in yourself before anyone else does.<\/p>\n

Where Does Jeremiah Fear Fit Right Now?<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s where things get a little complicated. The Pelicans aren\u2019t short on guards. Jordan Poole, Jose Alvarado, and newly acquired Dejounte Murray<\/a> are all fighting for time and touches. That means Fears is going to have to earn every minute. Nothing will be handed to him.<\/p>\n

Still, he has a skill set that\u2019s hard to ignore. His ability to push the pace, create off the dribble, and score in bunches could be a game-changer, especially for a team that\u2019s often leaned heavily on its forwards.<\/p>\n

Think about it: Zion handling the paint, the wings stretching the floor, and Fears orchestrating everything like a young maestro? That\u2019s the kind of offensive dynamic that could really start to cook.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/h3>\n

The Pelicans saw a need and went for it, and in Jeremiah Fears, they might\u2019ve found the high-upside guard who can help turn things around. He\u2019s not just a patch. He\u2019s a possible cornerstone. With early praise, solid Summer League numbers, and sky-high goals, Fears is stepping into the league with a lot of eyes on him. Whether he thrives or struggles out of the gate, one thing\u2019s for sure: he\u2019s not short on confidence or potential.<\/p>\n

For New Orleans, the 2025\u201326 season won\u2019t just be about bouncing back. It\u2019ll be about finding out if Fears can be the spark they\u2019ve been missing all along.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jeremiah Fears and the New Orleans Pelicans, that\u2019s the new combo fans are buzzing about. And honestly? It might be exactly what this team needs. The 2024\u201325 season is not exactly a highlight reel for the New Orleans Pelicans. They wrapped things up with the fourth-worst record in the league, which earned them the No. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5589,"featured_media":150866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,1608],"tags":[49375,49956],"class_list":["post-150852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pelicans","category-basketball","tag-2025-nba-draft","tag-jeremiah-fears"],"modified_by":"Zach Kircher","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5589"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150852"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150868,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150852\/revisions\/150868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}