The Pelicans biggest non offseason move is starting to look genius

The New Orleans Pelicans entered the 2026 offseason with what appeared to be a need for a center upgrade if they were truly going to accomplish their goal and be competitive next season. Many fans were left disappointed when the front office left their frontcourt untouched—at least, that was until Yves Missi stepped on the floor for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. 

Missi immediately validated Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver’s decision to not look for an upgrade on the center market this offseason.

Fans got to see their first glimpse of what Missi has been working on this offseason when he represented his home country, Cameroon, against Nigeria last Thursday. The soon-to-be third-year big man dominated every facet of the game and propelled his home country to a 78-62 win. Missi posted a stat line of 24 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and four blocks, while shooting 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.

This wasn’t his only standout performance, as the New Orleans big fella showed out against Tunisia. Missi had 19 points, 14 rebounds, while shooting 6-of-9 from the field, 5-of-8 from the free-throw line and 1-of-1 from the three-point land. What was more impressive than his stat lines was how he got them as Missi’s offensive bag looks changed.

A massive year three for Missi is on the way

For his entire time in the NBA, Missi has been a vertical threat who sees the majority of his offense come in the pick-and-roll, finishing at the rim or catching lobs on the break. Not to say those days are dead, but Missi appears to have way more to offer on the offensive end than he did through his first two campaigns in the NBA. Throughout the qualifiers, Missi showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and use the athleticism fans have known he has to blow by slower bigs on the perimeter.

The play that seemed to capture Pelicans Twitter/X last Thursday is the first play in the embedded post below. 

If Missi translates the ability to attack the rim off the dribble, the Pelicans' starting lineup gets a jolt at center that fans thought was feasible by trading for another big. This team would go from having a play-finishing five-man to adding another player who can put the ball on the deck and attack. On top of that, he’s also shown improved scoring off of postups with different moves, which to me felt like a much easier next step than the stuff he’s doing as a ball handler.

The other highlight that had the Pelicans social media space losing their minds was that Missi cashed a three against Tunisia. Now, this isn’t part of his game that fans should expect to see next season, as we have to remember that Missi is still so new to basketball, and baby steps come first. However, it is a very encouraging sign that this is clearly part of his game he’s working on and hoping to improve.

The Pelicans have been seriously missing a high-level center, and not many people thought Missi would be that player. But after what he showed internationally, the hype for Yves Missi going into year three is at an all-time high. The Pelicans front office must feel good knowing they banked on internal growth over adding another five-man.

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