Ranking the Pelicans' Most Important Bench Players

Projecting an NBA rotation before training camp always requires some guesswork. Injuries, lineup experiments, and unexpected performances could change everything, but the New Orleans Pelicans' most likely rotation provides a reasonable starting point.

This ranking isn't about identifying the most talented reserve or predicting who will score the most points. It's based on importance: Which bench players must perform their roles well for the Pelicans to exceed expectations?

Starting from No. 5, here is the projected order.

5. Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin is probably the most accomplished scorer on this list, but the Pelicans don't necessarily need him to become one of their best players.

If Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Fears, and Derik Queen handle their offensive responsibilities, anything Mathurin provides becomes a bonus. His ability to attack the basket, draw fouls, and generate points without an offense being built around him could still make him a valuable reserve.

His contract adds another layer. Mathurin signed a two-year contract with a second-year player option. If he thrives, he can opt out and seek more money either in New Orleans or elsewhere. If he struggles, he can return at a number the Pelicans might have spent on someone else.

Mathurin could become one of the season's best stories. He just should not determine whether the Pelicans succeed.

4. Bryce McGowens

McGowens enters camp as something of a forgotten man, but his combination of size and shooting gives him a legitimate chance to earn minutes.

The 6'6" wing shot a career-best 40.9% from three last season. He went 15-for-40 in his 13 starts, a still solid 37.5%, while showing that his shooting could translate into a larger role.

New Orleans needs another dependable floor spacer beyond Murphy. Bey must prove last season's shooting was sustainable, while Murray, Herb Jones, and Fears all have questions to answer from outside. That creates an opening for McGowens.

Shooting alone won't guarantee him a spot in the rotation. He must compete defensively, make good decisions, and show he can survive against stronger wings. If he does those things, McGowens could become more than depth. He could become one of the roster's most useful specialists.

3. Jeremiah Fears

With only two true lead guards on the roster, the Pelicans will depend heavily on Fears whether he starts or comes off the bench.

His job should be to take command of the second unit. He must push the tempo, create opportunities for himself, and organize the offense for everyone else. When the ball leaves his hands, he needs to relocate and make himself available for corner threes.

The larger question is defense. Fears can't be a road cone at the point of attack. He has to pressure ballhandlers, create turnovers, and help the Pelicans get into the open floor, where his speed becomes a greater weapon.

Fears has the talent. Now he has to refine it. He has a mentor in Murray and a coach in Jamahl Mosley whose staff has developed a number of quality NBA guards. A second-year breakout would give New Orleans another dynamic scorer and a potential closer.

2. Saddiq Bey

Bey is the best candidate to become the Pelicans' sixth man.

That role would allow him to play aggressively on both ends without asking him to carry the starting lineup every night. He's mature enough to understand what the game requires, whether that means scoring, defending a bigger forward, rebounding, or providing energy.

His ability to play both forward spots gives Mosley flexibility, but Bey's greatest responsibility remains making shots. After averaging 17.7 points during his first season in New Orleans, he no longer qualifies as an overlooked addition. The Pelicans rewarded him with a three-year extension because they expect his production to continue.

If Bey remains healthy and shoots around 35% from three, he can provide dependable scoring without disrupting the offense. That would make him one of the NBA's more valuable reserves and justify the Pelicans' investment.

1. Derik Queen

No bench player is more important to the Pelicans' ceiling than Queen.

New Orleans is counting on him to make a significant leap in his second season. He has yet to prove he can defend at the NBA level, maintain his conditioning, or sustain his effort. He also has to show he can share the floor with Williamson without creating an impossible defensive pairing or shrinking the offense's available space.

Offensively, Queen must become effective without dominating the ball. That means making open shots, screening with purpose, moving quickly after the catch, and attacking favorable matchups without stopping the offense.

Queen has to learn how to be a star in his role before trying to become a star player.

If he embraces that challenge, his passing, rebounding, and interior scoring could change the Pelicans' second unit and give Mosley more lineup options. If Queen returns as essentially the same player, New Orleans is going to have a hard time outperforming expectations.

Mathurin may score more. Bey may be steadier. Fears may eventually become the closer. But Queen's development could change what the Pelicans are capable of becoming.