The ends may never justify the means, but Derik Queen has been one of the New Orleans Pelicans’ best stories in what has been a pretty miserable season for the team. He looks like he could be a franchise cornerstone if everything breaks right.
Being that ray of light for the Pelicans also means Queen will be the face of their marquee matchups against the best of the best. Queen has already seen some of the NBA’s very best, but the star matchup he’s looking forward to is with Joel Embiid.
What Did Derik Queen Have To Say About Joel Embiid?
While talking with reporters, Queen was asked about which players he had been starstruck by after watching them before coming into the league. Queen singled out Embiid as one he is looking forward to, while also mentioning the stars he has gone up against.
“(LeBron James) guarded me; Scored on him twice,” Queen said, per Pelicans Film Room. “Who else? (Victor Wembanyama), he big as hell. (Anthony Davis) and (Nikola) Jokić of course. I’m just waiting for Embiid.”
“Bron guarded me. Scored on him twice. Who else? Wemby, he big as hell. AD and Jokic of course. I’m just waiting for Embiid”
— Derik Queen on players he has been starstruck playing against pic.twitter.com/0AiMY4gQns
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) January 9, 2026
The Pelicans will face the 76ers for the first time on January 31 and then again on February 21. It is uncertain whether Embiid will be available, as he has been in and out of the lineup throughout the season. He has played in 18 of the Sixers’ 35 games.
More than that, though, he is not putting up the numbers he used to. While Embiid is playing more, he’s averaging 23.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.2% from the field and 24.3% from three.
It’s too soon to say that it’s too late for Embiid, but it’s not looking good. It’s just a shame because it sounds like Queen is very much looking forward to the matchup. On the season, Queen is averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 49.5% from the field and 18.9% from three.
Queen is a young buck, while Embiid is a seasoned veteran. It would be interesting to see how the two of them compare to each other. Of course, it’s not guaranteed that Embiid will be available for their matchup due to his injury history, but if he is, it should be a good benchmark for the Pelicans to clear to see how good they can be with him on the team.
