Pelicans Fans Hail Jeremiah Fears Draft Pick to Join Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears No. 7 overall during the first round of Wednesday's NBA draft, adding the exciting guard to their ranks.

After his selection, fans reacted in excitement to the selection:

The 18-year-old averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Sooners in his lone college season, shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from three.

He led Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament, though the Sooners fell to UConn in the first round. Fears more than held his own in the loss, putting up 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, though he shot just 5-of-14 from the field.

Heading into the draft, Fears divided opinion somewhat, though he was nonetheless expected to be a top-10 selection.

"I'm a fan. I really like him. After Cooper Flagg, he would be my pick," a Western Conference executive told The Athletic's David Aldridge. "He has a little bit of that 'it' in terms of he can get downhill, where the game is played today. The shooting percentage has to get better, but I think it will. I think he's serious about his craft. When the redraft is done, I'll be surprised if he's not one of the best three in this class. The size doesn't bother me. That's Ja Morant’s size. And I think he seems a little more stable. NBA speed and quickness, athleticism for the position, good handle. The shooting will get better, but he made big shots for his college. His demeanor and how he's wired, I was impressed."

"He's trying to get it all at once. You want him to take a little bit of time," an Eastern Conference scout countered. "But he can go get a bucket. He can pass. The intel is a lot better than you see as a player. As a player, I think there's times I think he's a baby. He gets frustrated easily. I'm trying to think of guys he can be like. He's growing, so that helps. He's more of a Darius Garland-type player."

New Orleans is certainly hoping Fears ultimately has Garland-esque upside.