New Orleans Pelicans first-year coach Jamahl Mosley is beginning his tenure on the right foot.
On Saturday, Hoops Hype insider Michael Scotto reported that the Pelicans have hired renowned assistant God Shammgod as Mosley’s top lieutenant, a significant win for a franchise in desperate need of one after a disastrous 2025-26 season.
Shammgod is most well known for his signature move that bears his name, but he’s also become one of the league’s best developmental coaches, including working closely with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic when both were members of the Dallas Mavericks.
His hiring should be a significant boost for Pelicans 2025-26 All-Rookie second-team guard Jeremiah Fears and forward Derik Queen as both look to make a second-year leap.
God Shammgod’s hiring a great sign for Pelicans 2025-26 rookies Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen
Originally joining the Mavericks in July 2016, Shammgod was hired as assistant of player development and had later developed a strong rapport with Doncic as he became one of the league’s best players.
Last offseason, Shammgod left the Mavericks to join Mosley’s Orlando Magic and had a major impact on 2023 No. 6 overall pick Anthony Black’s breakout season. The third-year guard averaged career-highs in points (15) and assists (3.7) per game this past season. During Orlando’s trip overseas during the regular season, Black, who averaged 7.2 points per game over his first two seasons, spoke with reporters about his coach’s impact on his improved play.
“My shooting off the dribble, playing one-on-one. Just different moves that, you know, I can go to in difference scenarios,” Black said. “Just things that are natural to me.
“He looked at the way I play and the way I move and added just a couple counters.”
Added Shammgod:
“I’m happy for him. Because, like, at the end of the day, I can’t pull something out of him that’s not in him. So the greatness was his already. It’s just me helping him.”
If Shammgod can have a similar impact on Fears and Queen, New Orleans’ future will look much brighter in short order.
Both showed promise during an otherwise lost 26-56 season, with Fears, selected No. 7 overall in last year’s draft, appearing in all 82 games and averaging 14.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. Queen, selected No. 13 overall following a controversial trade with the Atlanta Hawks, showcased a strong all-around game as one of just four rookies to record a triple-double in 2025-26 and the only to do so more than once, per Stathead. On Dec. 8, 2025, he became just the fifth rookie this century to have a 30-point triple-double, joining Doncic, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Austin Reaves.
The two struggled, however (as did the Pels as a team), finishing at the rim. Per Cleaning The Glass, despite New Orleans attempting a league-high 41.8 percent of its field goal attempts at the rim, it shot just 63.9 percent on those tries, the league’s second-worst rate. Fears ranked in the 96th percentile among point guards in rim attempts but made them at a 56.7 percent clip, which ranked in the 26th percentile. Queen finished in the 20th percentile among bigs in shooting percentage at the rim (60.1 percent) despite over his half of his attempts coming within four feet of the basket.
Under Shammgod’s tutelage, Fears and Queen may become stronger finishers, allowing each to maximize their potential. While the Pelicans have a long way to go to competing with the West’s best, luring Shammgod should only help to bridge the gap. He’s proven to be among the league’s top developmental coaches over the years, and the young Pels stars will be the next to benefit from his guidance.