New Orleans Pelicans Rookie Center Still Has One Clear Weakness

The New Orleans Pelicans rookie looked solid during his Summer League debut, but showed some clear holes in his young game.

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Baylor Bears center Yves Missi (21) dunks the ball against the Colgate Raiders during the first half of the NCAA Tournament First Round at FedExForum. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans had a couple of big shifts in the roster this offseason and the one currently under the microscope is their situation at center.

Jonas Valanciunas left in free agency and Larry Nance Jr. was shipped away in the trade that brought Dejounte Murray over from the Atlanta Hawks.

The rotation at the five spot will have to be built from the ground up once again.

One key move they made in was taking athletic freak Yves Missi from Baylor with the No. 21 overall selection in the 2024 NBA draft.

Coaches, media and fans alike got their first real chance to see how Missi would react in a real game situation at the NBA Summer League.

With a couple of games under his belt, Law Murray of The Athletic gave a quick take how each player drafted performed during their first game action.

"[The Belgium native] started at center, a position at which New Orleans will be completely different from last season ... Missi showed a strong vertical presence before and after shots, converting on a number of putback dunks, but he's not a post option at all right now," he wrote.

The center racked up eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks per contest during his five games in Las Vegas, providing a glimpse into what he will provide to the Pelican's lineup as a rookie.

He's an incredibly raw player, which is a surprise to no one. The hope is that his baseline of defense will be high enough to contribute immediately as his offensive game develops.

Everything showed so far points to that being the case. He made waves during a play that saw him use his basketball IQ to avoid a screen and make a play on the ball at the rim.

They will need someone to do a bit more on the offensive side of the ball, though, as a lot of Valanciunas' value came from scoring the basketball down low.

New Orleans' biggest signing at center so far has been Daniel Theis, who does figure to do a lot more on offense than Missi.

Theis is a fairly good shooter, which will provide spacing for Zion Williamson, and is a lot more polished in the post than Missi.

Using a combination of other centers and a small-ball rotation will be a key to success as they wait for their rookie to develop.