The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a huge blow earlier today when first-round pick Derik Queen underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his wrist, ending his Summer League campaign and putting him in jeopardy for the start of the regular season.
Queen will miss the Pelicans’ final Summer League game against the Indiana Pacers, which will tip off at 9 p.m. ET.
Despite missing Queen, New Orleans is a four-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook (-175 on the Moneyline), with the point total set for 188.5. Indiana is +145 on the Moneyline. Below, I’ll preview each team and offer a prediction.
Pelicans-Pacers Roster Breakdown
For the Pacers, who were 24 minutes and a Tyrese Haliburton injury away from winning their first-ever NBA championship, Summer League is unimportant. None of the players on Indiana’s roster are likely to feature in the playoff rotation next summer if the Pacers make it that far without Haliburton. The most promising player is second-year forward Johnny Furphy, who had the most notable moment of Summer League when he threw down a poster jam over the Chicago Bulls’ Noa Essengue. Enrique Freeman has led the team in scoring with 16.8 per game while making 55.6% of his triples, and RayJ Dennis has contributed 16.0. Indiana is 2-2.
Meanwhile, though the Pelicans are without Queen, they’re still evaluating seventh overall pick Jeremiah Fears and last season’s starting center, Yves Missi. Missi has struggled throughout Summer League, shooting just 29.0% from the field (all two-pointers) and 30.8% from the free-throw line, though he finished behind only his teammate Queen and Charles Bassey in rebounds, and given that he didn’t play in Wednesday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s likely his Summer League is over. Fears, meanwhile, recorded 22 points and six assists against the Thunder and has averaged 16.3 points per game overall. Antonio Reeves and Trey Alexander have been standouts, too.
Pelicans vs. Pacers Pick
Indiana Pacers Moneyline (+145)
With Fears solidified as a core part of New Orleans’ future, there’s a reasonable chance that the Pelicans will sit him tonight, leaving them without active NBA-level talent beyond Reeves, whose roster spot should also be pretty secure. Meanwhile, while Furphy’s spot on Indiana’s roster is safe, Freeman and Dennis have one final chance to try and play their way onto a suddenly-depleted Pacers team.
