logo
Pelicans Leave Summer League Believing 'Sky Is The Limit' For Jeremiah Fears

Pelicans Leave Summer League Believing 'Sky Is The Limit' For Jeremiah Fears

Forbes6 days ago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 12: Jeremiah Fears #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans drives against Bronny ... More James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Getty Images
Jeremiah Fears made a living in the paint at Summer League. He is a blur with the ball in his hands. His ability to quickly shift gears, snap a crossover dribble, and leave his defender in the dust stands out. So did his struggles.
The six-foot-four guard is only 182 pounds. When he elevates for a layup, contact tends to turn what should be two points into a miss, negating the impressive nature of his dash to the rim.
In the New Orleans Pelicans' 94-81 loss to a noticeably improved Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Fears finished with 15 points on 5/21 shooting. He faired 4/9 in the restricted area and went 0/3 in the paint.
"I like the aggressiveness, but we have to make some layups," said Corey Brewer, the Pelicans' head coach in Las Vegas. "He has to look at [the] film and make rim decisions. You have to be able to make it or kick it out."
Understanding what Summer League is all about, especially for a top prospect like Fears, who New Orleans selected seventh overall, Brewer noted, "Rather him do it now than later."
Fears reclassified to join the collegiate ranks quicker; he doesn't turn 19 until October. As Brewer told Forbes after the former put 22 points on the board and dished out four assists in a 113-104 victory vs. the Indiana Pacers on Friday, it's paramount to maintain perspective about his development.
"Every game, he's learning, it's new," Brewer told Forbes. "He's going to get better and better. By game 40, 50 next year, he's going to be a totally different player."
Center Hunter Dickinson, who joined New Orleans on a two-way deal on the heels of this year's NBA Draft, stressed a similar sentiment while gushing about what Fears' future might hold.
"He's so talented, but then people [have] got to remember, he's so young, too. He's 18 years old and [has] got so much potential," Dickinson expressed to Forbes. "He's already a really good player now. So, sky's the limit for him." Pelicans see encouraging growth from Fears at Summer League
In five games in Sin City, Fears averaged 5.0 turnovers. Entering Saturday's Summer League contests, that is the most among those to suit up for at least four, per NBA.com.
He coughed the ball up five times in the Pelicans' Las Vegas finale against the Pacers. But in a sign of his competitive character, the former Oklahoma Sooners star was the only top-seven pick from this year's draft not to miss a matchup. He utilized those reps to flash signs of growth as a facilitator whom New Orleans can trust to take care of the ball.
"His decision-making got a lot better," Brewer told Forbes. "[In the] first two games to the last game, he made a lot better reads. He got guys open shots. So, he's only going to continue to get better. He's only 18."
That's also an area Brewer pointed to while telling Forbes where he wants to see Fears grow his game after leaving Las Vegas.
"His decision-making," said Brewer. "It's the rim reads, coming out [of] the pick-and-roll reads, but it's anything. Every young player has to go through it. There's going to be growing pains for him, even during the year this year. Game-to-game, he's going to be learning."
As Fears adds muscle and experience, his ability to get to the basket will become increasingly problematic for opponents. He has already proven that he can pile up points at the free-throw line.
The Illinois native generated 6.4 free throws per tilt at Summer League. Entering Saturday's matchups, that was the eighth-most, per NBA.com. Granted, one shouldn't lose sight of the caliber of competition he faced.
While Fears is a score-first guard, as he acclimates to playing on basketball's highest level, his ability to orchestrate New Orleans' offense will also grow.
He was far from the most active off-ball player in this environment, but as his last name and No. 0 jersey combination suggest, he is fearless. The former Sooner will crash the glass, especially when his defender doesn't box him out.
Fears parlayed three offensive rebounds into multiple baskets against Indiana in his Sin City finale. It's another example of his competitive character.
Whether it was reclassifying or staying on the floor throughout Summer League, Fears' willingness to challenge himself is the other trait that bodes well for him maximizing his potential.
Between that, offensive abilities that would shine in any environment, and an understanding of what will come with time, the Pelicans are understandably bullish on Jeremiah Fears' future.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pete Carroll says Raiders didn't rush into decision to release Christian Wilkins
Pete Carroll says Raiders didn't rush into decision to release Christian Wilkins

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Pete Carroll says Raiders didn't rush into decision to release Christian Wilkins

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders coach Pete Carroll said Friday the club didn't rush into its decision to release defensive tackle Christian Wilkins the day before over a dispute regarding his recovery from a broken foot. 'We took a long time to make our decision,' Carroll said. 'We watched our way through the whole thing. We're keeping it really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, so we just had to move on.' His comments largely echoed the statement issued by the Las Vegas organization on Thursday. The Raiders didn't mince worse with an unusually strongly-worded statement, saying that Wilkins failed to provide a "clear path or plan for future return to play.' Wilkins was injured in Week 5 last season and had some sort of setback in his recovery that took him out of offseason practices and landed him on the physically unable to perform list shortly before training camp opened Wednesday. Wilkins, 29, was the Raiders' marquee free-agent signing last year, agreeing to a four-year, $110 million contract with $82.75 million guaranteed. The Raiders reportedly are voiding the remaining $35.25 million of Wilkins' deal. Wilkins has filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association, a person with knowledge of the situation said. That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. The Raiders will have a dead-salary cap of $29.8 million even if they win the grievance. With Wilkins off the roster, Adam Butler and Jonah Laulu ran first team at tackle this week in practice. Butler started 16 games last season, finishing with 65 tackles, eight for loss and five sacks. Laulu started seven games as a rookie, making 35 tackles, with three for loss and a sack. Both players were in all 17 games. 'This place is about competition,' Carroll said. 'It always has been. It's wide open. I'm not going to talk about any names right now. If you watch the rotations, we're giving everybody a chance. We're mixing the (starters) with the (backups) all the way throughout just to gather a bunch of information.' Wilkins was brought to Las Vegas to add an even stronger presence to a defensive line that includes pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. He had a career-high nine sacks in 2023 with Miami to go with his elite run stopping ability. The hopes of forming one of the NFL's most imposing defensive lines took a major hit when all three linemen suffered season-ending injuries, though Crosby and Koonce are back practicing. Crosby was nearly unblockable Friday as the team continued to work in non-padded practices. Wilkins had two sacks and 17 tackles in five games before injuring his foot, which required surgery. He suffered a Jones fracture — a break of the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot. ___ AP NFL:

How will Josh Naylor fit in with the Mariners?
How will Josh Naylor fit in with the Mariners?

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

How will Josh Naylor fit in with the Mariners?

Yahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz react to Seattle's acquisition of the All-Star first baseman from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hear the full conversation on the 'Baseball Bar-B-Cast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Now Josh Naylor isn't going to win any MVP awards. He was an All-Star last year. This year, the numbers are a little bit down. He's traded some power for some contact. He only has 11 home runs this year, he hit 31 last year, but he immediately becomes one of the best five hitters in this Mariners lineup, and it comes at a relatively affordable price with two pitching prospects, one of whom is in High A, and one of whom is a reliever. Josh Naylor's floor is really high, and I think that is really where the appeal comes in. Obviously, it's a rental situation, so it's not, you know, a long-term commitment. But when you look at him over the past four years, it's been rock solid. You know, the shape of the production has changed a little bit, but if you look at all the first basemen over the last four seasons, again, we're talking about a big sample size because he generally posts and hasn't had a lot of injuries since his very dramatic leg injury earlier in his career. He is not elite, but he is right at the top of that second tier. The Mariners are basically going to be trying to decide what kind of versatility they want to keep. Do they want to keep as much offensive upside on the roster, which would be keeping Ray, keeping Canzone, who's had a really nice run in right field, and then maybe it's the time is over for Solano, but like I said, then you're really lacking any sort of right-handed element on the bench. So maybe they send down Miles Masterboni and just trust Williamson and Dylan Moore to be the full utility guys. There's a few options here, but my instinct is that it's kind of the end for Solano, but I'm not totally sure. But I do think that Josh Naylor is an everyday first baseman, and I have to imagine that's how they're viewing him. So everything is going to have to fit around that reality. The dude shows up and the dude hits. He basically was exactly what Arizona asked him to do, and you have to give him credit for that, right? He's going to be a free agent. He understands that this is he's been in these postseason races too, you know, with Cleveland. And so he, you know, he'll fit in in that sense, and I trust him to kind of show up. He's a flawed hitter, you know, there are ways where he can kind of go cold, but for the most part, I think he just fits the Mariners for a lot of reasons, again, because of that floor and because of the fact that the lineup is in a better place overall, it looks a lot better to add a guy like him. Close

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store