The education of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears is being guided by a unique coaching perspective, one that sees flashes of two distinct, brilliant point guards from James Borrego’s past. The Big Easy’s interim bench boss has coached Tony Parker and LaMelo Ball, seeing a bit of both in Fears. Everyone in the building is leaning into those parallels not to burden the 19-year-old with expectations, but to guide the Oklahoma alum through the inevitable turbulence of learning how to run an NBA team.
Borrego shared a few tidbits with ClutchPoints around Thanksgiving.
“We’ve talked about it, (Fears) and I,” Borrego began. “I think all three are natural scorers. I think I’ve said that before. They’ve come in and that’s what makes them great. That is why (Fears, Parker, and Ball) are on this stage. Parker did it; LaMelo did it. Their instinct is to score, go get downhill, and make plays.”
That instinct has always been both a gift and a challenge for young point guards who enter the league wired to attack. For Fears, the Pelicans see the same balance that had to be struck with Parker early in San Antonio and Ball in Charlotte. Walking the highwire tension between freelancing brilliance and the demands of keeping All-Star veterans happy is not for everyone after all.
“There is a balance between finding yours and playing within a system and making sure that you’re playing as a five-man unit,” added Borrgeo. “That is not always easy for a rookie. LaMelo struggled at times. I had to correct that and it just took some time.”
The Pelicans are willing to live with those bumps because they’re seeing the right signs behind the scenes.
John Hefti-Imagn Images
While Borrego acknowledges that the rookie is still figuring out when to push, when to pass, and when to let the game breathe, he said Fears’ work ethic has quickly become a defining trait inside the building.
“The goal is to find the best looks for the team,” Borrego explained. “Jeremiah has been great. He’s open, he wants to be great. (Fears) works harder than anyone in that building. Ultimately, he is going to get there because of his work ethic, his talent, his swagger, his confidence, all that, but there are learning curves along the way. And it’s not just Jeremiah, it’s any rookie, especially at the point guard spot. That’s probably the toughest challenge. You’re trying to manage the game, manage a team, and still live in your instincts as a basketball player. That’s a lot to manage when you’re 19 years old. This kid should be in college this year as a freshman.”
Borrego brought up Parker again, underscoring that even future Hall of Famers needed time. Parker entered the league at 19 and endured tough love from Gregg Popovich, who routinely benched him, barked at him, and demanded command of the offense before granting trust.
“I saw (Tony Parker) evolve into that. Tony, it took a couple of years with (Gregg Popovich). You know, Pop was on his tail day after day. Game after game,” Borrego recalled. “(Parker) did not finish every game. Sometimes he would come out of the lineup, so there is a learning curve there for all of these young rookies. With LaMelo, I loved that process with him as well, taking time, talking game management.”
That same process is underway in New Orleans, though Borrego emphasizes that Fears brings a humility and eagerness that makes coaching him easy.
“Nothing different. (Fears) is a wonderful kid,” Borrego stressed. “He is a sponge who wants to get better and be great.”
The Pelicans aren’t asking Jeremiah Fears to be the next Tony Parker or LaMelo Ball. They simply see the blueprint. And if Fears follows it with the same drive he’s already shown, Borrego believes the rookie point guard will grow into the role the same way his predecessors did. By learning, adjusting, and trusting that the difficult parts are all part of the ascent, Fears is surely cemented in the Big Easy’s foundation for the foreseeable future.
