New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Center Impresses In First Ever NBA Game

Pelicans rookie Yves Missi development a major key to how successful New Orleans will be this season.

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"Trust my instincts" was the message the New Orleans Pelicans rookie center said coaches and family gave him before his first NBA game on Wednesday night. Yves Missi moved to the United States when he was 17 and has only played professional basketball for three seasons, but his debut against the Chicago Bulls looked like a veteran who had been playing for years in the league. The former Baylor standout finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Missi's development is crucial to any success the Pelicans want to have this season. New Orleans lost a ton of rebounding and rim protection with the departures of Jonas Valanciunas, Cody Zeller, and Larry Nance Jr. this offseason. The Pelicans signed Daniel Theis to a one-year deal this summer, but the veteran center is undersized at 6-foot-8. The team drafted him with the No. 21 pick in this year's NBA Draft, but most considered him a developmental player who was talented but raw because of his lack of experience.

He showed flashes during the preseason, especially during the final game against the Houston Rockets. The rookie was inserted into the game in the third quarter and flashed some signs while playing with the starters. Despite the Pelicans losing that game by 20 points, Missi recorded a team-best +7 in the +/- category.

Still, many didn't envision him having this type of impact playing in his first real NBA game without the assistance of Zion Williamson, who was out with an illness, in the frontcourt.

"I mean, it's amazing," Missi told reporters postgame about the expectations of his first NBA game. "My first NBA game. I am very grateful. That goes for everything."

The Pelicans will be grateful if Missi continues to develop and play this well as the season progresses. Most nights, New Orleans is at a disadvantage in the paint, but the 6-foot-11 Cameroonian center can help compensate for that with his energy and relentless on the glass and towards blocking shots. The Pelicans have not had that kind of athleticism and energy at the center position in years.

The fans certainly appreciated it and gave the rookie a standing ovation when he checked out of the game late in the fourth quarter. The humble center told reporters it was unexpected and, at one point, thought the applause was for someone else. If Missi keeps playing the way he did Wednesday night, expect many more ovations and no mistakes about who they are for.