Pelicans’ Yves Missi Dazzles in NBA Debut

New Orleans’ shiniest new center saw a strong NBA debut on Wednesday night.

Sep 30, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) takes part in Pelicans Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Drafted at No. 21 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Baylor’s Yves Missi was an unassuming pick for many.

A raw, 6-foot-10 center who thrives on athleticism, Missi was thought of to be a project selection for the New Orleans Pelicans. A player they might not be able to roll out due to the foreseeable future.

On Wednesday night, however — which featured 20 different NBA teams facing off against one another — Missi was perhaps the brightest rookie of the entire bunch.

It didn’t take an astounding performance. The league’s top pick shot just 2-for-8 overall, and the highest drafted centers in Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan saw less-than-adequate debuts. But Missi was certainly strong.

In 23 minutes off the bench, he scored 12 points on an efficient 5-for-8 shooting, adding seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and three highly-impactful blocks. He nailed both of his free throws, and finished with a positive plus-minus of +4, a strong mark for a newbie.

Most importantly, he was vital to the team’s winning efforts over the Bulls as true big. He played more minutes than starter Daniel Theis, scoring more points, grabbing more boards and matching his blocks.

There’s no guarantee Missi will be able to keep pace with the precedent he’s set. He’s still just 20-years-old, and does indeed have a fairly raw game that will need outside factors to set up him around the rim. 

But it was made clear Wednesday night that the Pelicans may have an impactful player on their hands if they continue to lean into his development. And one that especially could help given the team’s hole at center.

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