Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Pelicans May Have to Make Difficult Jeremiah Fears Decision

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Cem Yolbulan | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 4:34 PM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans are firmly at the bottom of the Western Conference once again after losing five straight games to fall to 8-27 for the season. While the Pels are obviously not going anywhere this season, it's still important to form good habits and build the foundation of a sustainable winner in the long run. Winning games may not mean much in the rest of the season, but the Pelicans still have to put their young players in a position where they can develop and thrive.

With that in mind, the Pelicans have to consider making a difficult decision about standout rookie Jeremiah Fears. The talented point guard has been struggling in recent weeks, and a reduction in his role could benefit him.

Pelicans Have to Consider Benching Jeremiah Fears in Favor of Jose Alvarado

It's important to note that Fears just turned 19, and the fact that he is a starting point guard and playing significant minutes is impressive on its own. Development is not linear, and every young player will have their ups and downs as they are learning their trade. The 82-game regular season is long, and it's normal for any player to go through a rut.

That is what the seventh-overall pick is going through. After a strong start to the season, Fears has hit a wall in December. Over his 14 games last month, Fears had an abysmal 48.3% True Shooting, while making only 26.7% of his threes. In his last five games, Fears is averaging 9.4 points and 3.2 assists with 36.0/18.2/75.0 shooting splits in 24.5 minutes per game. The Pelicans have lost the minutes Fears was on the court in each of these games, and by a total of 52 points.

Fears has the worst on/off metrics on the team for the season. Per Cleaning the Glass data, the Pelicans are 11.8 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor than off. New Orleans has a -12.5 net rating when Fears is playing, and is only a -0.7 net rating team when he is on the bench, closer to a mediocre team rather than the worst team in the West.

In contrast, Jose Alvarado has the best on-off metrics on the team. The Pelicans are +7.1 points per 100 possessions better when the fan favorite is on the court, with the improvement coming on both ends of the floor. Alvarado is a much better defender and shooter than Fears at this point. While Fears provides more dynamism and playmaking off the dribble, Alvarado's off-ball ability and defensive intensity better align with what the Pelicans need in their starting lineup.

With Zion Williamson and Derik Queen in the starting lineup, the Pels need to surround them with shooting and defense. Alvarado is the best backcourt player on the roster to provide that for the Pelicans. Inserting him into the starting lineup would push Fears to the bench and allow him to be more effective against backups in second units.

Fears should take over as the starter later in the season, but using him as the sixth man, at least until the trade deadline, when the Pels will shake up the roster, makes a ton of sense for everyone involved.