Pelicans center Derik Queen responds to social media criticism

New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen addressed fan skepticism regarding his long-term prospects following his rookie season. A user on X questioned the 21-year-old’s status, prompting Queen to respond sarcastically about his physical conditioning. The post went viral, eventually leading the original poster to acknowledge Queen’s standing as an elite player. Queen earned All-Rookie Second Team honors last year after averaging 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over 81 appearances. The center joined Chris Paul as the only Pelicans rookies in franchise history to record multiple triple-doubles. Despite his productive first year, Queen enters his sophomore season behind Yves Missi on the depth chart. He continues to compete for a larger role in the Pelicans' interior rotation.

• 6:58 AMYahoo Sports — Pelicans news: Derik Queen hilariously claps back at worried fan