Despite a team loss, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears became the youngest player in NBA history to record his stat line.
The New Orleans Pelicans had built up some late momentum, but that is all gone now as their losing streak increased to seven on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Good news, though, is that the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks have also continued losing, so the draft odds haven't gotten any better for the Atlanta Hawks. Even better news is that Jeremiah Fears made history in the latest loss and continues to look like a future star.
Against the Kings, Fears had 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 10-of-19 from the field and 5-of-11 from deep. He became the youngest player in NBA history to have 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and five made threes.
The 19-year-old is supposed to be a college freshman right now. Because he reclassified, he was able to get college out of the way last year and is the fourth-youngest player in the league. Joan Beringer, Noa Essengue and Cooper Flagg are all slightly younger.
Fears has had an interesting rookie campaign after being drafted seventh overall. Because of the controversy around the trade to select Derik Queen, it felt like Fears was sort of put on the back burner when people talk about this team.
The former Oklahoma Sooners standout was still starting just three games into his career, and while he certainly has had some lapses and moments he would like to have back, he has mostly looked good for where he's at in his career.
On nights like Friday, he goes up another level and looks like a potential star. From the first moment he stepped onto an NBA court, Fears has been able to score. He had 17 in his debut, and it took him just four games to hit 20. He's shown great growth as a rookie and can now shoot from distance, rebound well for a point guard and playmake for others a little better.
Since the start of March, he's shooting 41.9% from three on 4.4 attempts per night. The Pelicans will eventually want that volume a little higher, but it's hard to complain about what he's doing right now.
Fears handled getting benched back in January very well. It might have been a blessing, giving him a chance to take a step back and remember that he's a rookie. He has gotten much better since that moment overall. Friday night was just a fun reminder.