With the New Orleans Pelicans' summer league coming to a close Friday night against the Indiana Pacers, it's time we look back on what the most important thing summer league has shown the Pelicans. In my opinion, the only thing summer league has solidified for this team is their center rotation.
I think it's clearer than ever before that Kevon Looney will start the 2025-26 campaign as the Pelicans' starting center, followed by Derik Queen and then Yves Missi.
Now, to see Yves Missi as the likely third-string center is a shock, but his performances in the summer league were extremely lackluster. During his time in Vegas, he shot an abysmal 9/31 from the field, which is below 30%. For a paint-oriented big man, this is extremely concerning and ultimately tanked his chances of being considered the starter for this team next season.
Don't get me wrong, Missi is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he earned All-Rookie Second-Team honors. He is still a good screener and rim protector, but he really needs to work on his finishing ability to surpass Queen.
As far as Derik Queen goes, for me, his performance against the Portland Trail Blazers was enough to put him higher than Missi on the depth chart. All summer league, he's been forced to play out of position because he's had to share the floor with another center. However, against the Blazers, head coach Corey Brewer gave Queen a ton of minutes at the five, and he looked incredible.
Queen finished the game with the best plus-minus out of the starters, and because he no longer had to share the floor with Missi, he looked like the player Joe Dumars drafted. He was bringing the ball up, creating offense for others, and getting into his scoring rhythm at the rim. Defensively, he also looked much better, as he knew where to stand, how to matchup, and did not need to guard on the perimeter.
For me, if New Orleans wants Queen to hit his potential, he needs to be the second-string center going into the 2025-26 campaign.
How did Looney secure the starting spot without touching the court?
Kevon Looney earning his spot as the starter without playing is an interesting concept. Still, when looking at the flaws both Missi and Queen displayed, it's obvious he's the Pelicans' best option. Looney has been in the NBA for 10 seasons, and with that comes tons of experience, something the Pelicans' younger bigs don't have.
When watching summer league, mistakes like blown coverages, missed assignments, missed layups, and bad turnovers were all things both Missi and Queen had their fair share of. Those are all things that the starting center on a team striving for the playoffs can't do, and Looney won't do.
Looney is one of the league's most underrated bigs and is an elite screener and play finisher. Starting him is the right call, and the summer league has proven that.