New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Already Making Name for Himself Around the NBA

It hasn't taken long for a New Orleans Pelicans rookie to start making waves in the league.

Oct 29, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) holds onto a rebound next to Golden State Warriors forward Kyle Anderson (1) in the third quarter at the Chase Center. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The biggest hole that the New Orleans Pelicans had coming into the season was at the center position.

Head coach Willie Green prefers playing a more traditional starting five, which in this case includes Daniel Theis after Jonas Valanciunas left in free agency and Larry Nance Jr. was used as part of the trade package to land Dejounte Murray.

Relying on Theis at this point in his career as a starter is certainly risky. He brings some value to the team as a veteran, but is likely overextended in a normal starting role that would ask him to play 25+ minutes.

To this point, he has started all four games and is averaging 18.8 minutes. That is a number that could decrease as the team gets healthier, and as Yves Missi gets more comfortable and earns a larger role.

The 2024 first-round pick out of Baylor is already receiving more playing time than his veteran counterpart, averaging 21.8 per game. His energy has been a nice boost coming off the bench, as his high-flying skill set is exactly what the team needs.

The No. 21 pick has been making an impact on both ends of the floor and is already garnering attention from people around the league. Over at ESPN, Tim MacMahon has made a bold prediction after the first week of the season involving Missi.

“The Rookie of the Year won't be a lottery pick. Two early candidates: New Orleans' Yves Missi and Phoenix's Ryan Dunn. Missi, the No. 21 pick, led all rookies in scoring (10.0 points per game), rebounding (6.5) and blocks (2.5) entering Sunday and should get consistent minutes, considering the lack of centers on the Pelicans' roster,” he wrote.

Missi has seen his scoring output drop a little since, as he is averaging 8.5 points per game. The slight dip was expected as he is arguably impacted the most by the injury to starting point guard Dejounte Murray.

But the rest of his game has remained steady. He is pulling down 5.8 rebounds and has blocked at least two shots in all four games. His playmaking has been a pleasant surprise with eight in four games and he is doing a good job of staying out of foul trouble.

While still very raw, this has been a solid start for the New Orleans rookie. His role is only going to grow as he develops his game and gets more comfortable.

The team’s lineup and rotation are going to change once Murray and Trey Murphy are both healthy enough to play, but Missi is showing that he isn’t going to cede minutes easily. Currently, his average of 21.8 per game is seventh on the team, as he is a locked-in member of the rotation.