The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a three-game losing skid with a 116-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. This game not only helped the Pelicans get back in the win column but also gave interim head coach James Borrego a clear starting lineup adjustment to make going forward.
In the win, Derik Queen struggled to get things going on offense, recording just four points while shooting 0-for-5 from the field and not getting his first points until there were less than two minutes left in the third quarter. Queen has been the Pelicans' starting center since the team's 13th game of the season, but it might be time for a change of scenery.
Wednesday was one of those incredible scoring nights for Zion Williamson as he put up 25 points on 78.6 percent from the floor. When Williamson gets hot early, the team's entire offense becomes feeding the big fella, and while that's great for him and his individual stats, it hurts Queen's ability to impact the game.
Queen is the type of player who can be trusted as a decision-maker because of his playmaking and scoring chops, but the scoring part takes a massive hit when he shares the court with Williamson, because they share similar scoring profiles. Moving Queen to the bench would give him the chance to run the Pelicans' second unit, which is a group that is in desperate need of an offensive spark and steady creator.
In the sixth-man role, Queen could maximize his strengths with the ball in his hands, give the bench unit a clear identity, and keep the offense from stalling when the starters sit.
Aside from Queen's fit, another factor suggesting a starting lineup change is the incredible play Yves Missi has been giving as of late, as he even played closeout minutes in the matchup with Brooklyn.
Missi is forcing Borrego's hand
I have spoken so highly of Missi and his play as of late, as he has been a walking ball of energy off the bench for this team—coming into games and crashing the glass hard, fighting for rebounds, and delivering highlight blocks. On Wednesday, Missi had eight of his 12 points and seven of his 12 rebounds in the first quarter alone. He added four assists, one monstrous block, and led the team in plus-minus as a plus-23 across the rest of the game.
As a high-level rim protector, Missi is a much better fit alongside Williamson, as Z and Queen both have similar defensive issues. Both are lacking the foot speed, size, and discipline needed from at least one of your frontcourt players to compete on a nightly basis defensively—deficiencies Missi helps cover when he shares the court with Williamson.
Although I do think the entire NBA world would agree that Derik Queen is a much better long-term answer at center for the Pelicans than Missi, the clear move for the present is to pair Missi in the frontcourt alongside Zion Williamson.