For the New Orleans Pelicans and their long-suffering fans, it’s a story that has become painfully familiar. A new season brings a fresh wave of hope, a talented young player looks poised to make a leap, and then, inevitably, disaster strikes. This time, the victim was prized rookie Derik Queen, and his heartbreaking social media post captured the feeling of a franchise that just can’t seem to catch a break.

The news was a gut punch. New Orleans announced that Queen had undergone successful surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, an injury he suffered during a Summer League game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The team’s official timeline for his recovery is a re-evaluation in 12 weeks, a brutal blow that will keep him sidelined for all of training camp and likely the start of his rookie season. Queen’s reaction on social media was simple and devastating: four crying face emojis.

For the Pelicans and their fans, this felt all too familiar. After a disastrous 21-win season plagued by injuries, the hope was that a new front office, led by Louisiana native Joe Dumars, and a talented draft class could turn things around. The team was aggressive on draft night, trading a future first-round pick to move up and select Derik Queen just minutes after taking Jeremiah Fears at No. 7. In his three Summer League games, Queen had shown flashes of the player they were so excited about, averaging an impressive 14.1 points and 11 rebounds.

But now, another promising young player is on the shelf, and for a fanbase that has seen this movie before, it’s hard not to wonder if something else is at play. One fan on social media summed up the feeling perfectly: “Pelicans might really be cursed.“

That sentiment isn’t just coming from the cheap seats; it’s a feeling that’s been echoed by a former player. Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who spent two injury-plagued seasons in New Orleans, didn’t mince words when asked about his old team. “That organization’s cursed. Every year there’s something new. I’m happy I’m not there anymore,” Daniels said. “The curse, man. I had like four or five ankle injuries down there as well. There’s something down in that water down there or something. They got hamstrings. They got knees. They got concussions and stuff as well. They get everything down there.”

For a franchise that just cleaned house in the front office, this feels like the same old story, and the fans are letting their frustration be heard.

Fans react to Derik Queen’s devastating injury

As soon as the news of Queen’s surgery hit social media, the fan reaction was a predictable and painful mix of heartbreak and gallows humor. It felt like a cruel initiation rite, a sentiment perfectly captured by one fan who wrote, “Now you’re a real Pelican buddy. Welcome to New Orleans Curses.”

It’s a dark joke, but it’s one born from a painful truth. Can you even call it bad luck when it happens this often? The Pelicans’ injury history isn’t just bad, it’s a plague of almost biblical proportions. The 2024-25 season was a complete nightmare, a revolving door of injuries that took out basically every key player. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III—they all missed significant time. It got so bad that the team had to sign Elfrid Payton, a player who had been out of the league for over a year, just to have a healthy body to bring the ball up the court.

So is it any wonder that another fan offered some blunt advice to the injured rookie? “get out of new orleans as fast as u can theyre cursed.” It’s a feeling of hopelessness that comes from a never-ending cycle of what-ifs. From Anthony Davis forcing his way out just as Zion was arriving, to the constant injuries that have kept this talented core from ever building real chemistry, the franchise feels stuck in a loop of bad luck. The recent front office shake-up was supposed to be a fresh start. But with Queen’s injury, it just feels like the same old song.

Of course, not all fans have thrown in the towel. One offered a more optimistic, if still resigned, take: “That’s just Pelicans basketball homie. Bounce back and reverse the curse!” It’s a sentiment that speaks to the incredible resilience of a fanbase that has been through it all. But for many, the frustration is boiling over, and they’re looking for someone to blame.

And that blame, fairly or not, is landing squarely on the shoulders of the franchise’s biggest star, Zion Williamson. One fan, reacting to Queen’s injury, didn’t hold back: “Zion affect smh I’m mad af, you shook bro hand and ended up hurt already. 😡” It’s a wild, almost superstitious take, but it captures the deep-seated frustration with a player who was supposed to be a savior but has instead become a symbol of the team’s cursed luck. From the torn meniscus that derailed his rookie season to the constant hamstring issues, Zion’s inability to stay on the court has been the biggest what if in a franchise full of them.

Now, with another top prospect already on the shelf, the question for the Pelicans isn’t just about getting healthy; it’s about whether they can ever truly escape the shadow of their own painful history.