The result was a loss, but Derik Queen still gave another reminder that he can matter in a reserve role. In Wednesday's 104-91 defeat to the Nuggets, Queen posted 11 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench, collecting his second double-double of the campaign.
The box score tells the story well enough: 3-of-6 shooting from the field, 5-of-7 at the line, no attempts from 3-point range, plus one assist and one block. More important is the pattern behind it. Queen has now delivered a double-double without starting a game this season, and that makes his early run more interesting than a single strong night usually would.
What the numbers say
Queen has four appearances this season and has not started any of them, yet he is still averaging 12.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. That is the kind of production that stands out because it is coming from a player working off the bench rather than being built around as a starter. Wednesday's line fit that theme exactly: efficient enough scoring, strong work on the glass, and enough all-around activity to stay involved in the game even as the score tilted away from his team.
For fantasy basketball, that matters. A reserve who can produce rebounds and scoring in this range is valuable because the role does not appear to be limiting his statistical output. Queen's fourth consecutive game of solid production only strengthens that case, and his second double-double of the campaign suggests the early-season run is not a one-night spike.
The bigger takeaway is simple: Queen is showing he can provide meaningful production without starting. That does not change the final score against the Nuggets, but it does sharpen the early-season picture of what he can offer if this level of play continues.
