How Pelicans’ Jeremiah Fears is being challenged in a totally different way to level up defense

The New Orleans Pelicans spent years watching defensive possessions unravel because of missed assignments, late rotations, and breakdowns that leave everyone scrambling. New head coach Jamahl Mosley is determined to eliminate those mistakes, but his approach demands a different understanding of the game, particularly from Jeremiah Fears.

Thankfully, though the defensive drills keep coming with Mosley in charge of the Pelicans , and Fears keeps learning. For the second-year point guard, the arrival of a new head coach has meant a complete rewiring of how the 19-year-old thinks about defense. And, as Fears shared during Media Day , the learning curve is very steep.

"It's very different," Fears admitted to ClutchPoints. "Obviously there are so many things that you can learn from coach and his defensive scheme, and I think it helps. It just helped the overall team, us being able to understand positions and understand you don't always have the ball. Like you said, you may be the low man sometimes, and you've got to understand your job and what the team needs you to do in the moment or in that moment."

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The challenge is not necessarily about playing harder. Fears has already demonstrated the competitive streak and fearlessness that helped make him one of the league's most intriguing young prospects. What Mosley wants now is a more disciplined defender who understands where to be, when to help, and how his positioning affects the other four players on the floor.

That distinction represents a significant adjustment for Fears, who averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals while appearing in all 82 games as a rookie. The former Oklahoma standout showed he could handle substantial offensive responsibilities despite being one of the NBA's youngest players. His second season, however, will require a different kind of growth.

"So just being able to make sure we all know what we are doing on the floor. Sometimes you don't pick the ball up. Maybe your teammate picks the ball up, but you got to be in the gap," explained Fears. "You got to be in that for him. So it's just understanding that and just continuing to learn. You don't always know everything. Continue to ask questions, continue to watch film, and like I said, the more you learn, the better you'll be."

Perhaps the most encouraging training camp development is that Fears appears receptive to the challenge. Rather than suggesting he already understands the nuances of Mosley's system, he acknowledged the importance of asking questions and accepting that there is more to learn.

His rookie season established Fears as a legitimate building block for the franchise's future. His sophomore campaign offers an opportunity to prove his development will not be limited to scoring and playmaking.

If that lesson takes hold, the Pelicans could have something considerably more valuable than another young guard capable of filling up the box score. Those are a dime a dozen at this level; just check the G League. If Fears steps up on defense, then New Orleans will finally have a spiritual successor to Chris Paul at point. If nothing else goes right this season, knowing that piece is in place moving forward would go a long way toward winning back fans and games sooner rather than later.