The New Orleans Pelicans have moved to 8-5 since the All-Star break with their 129-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. This game highlighted a continued trend within the Pelicans' young core as second-year center Yves Missi got his number called to be a starter and balled out. The 21-year-old had four points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and blocked five shots.
Missi slotted in at center as the Pelicans were without Dejounte Murray, who was dealing with an illness. Interim head coach James Borrego continues to be experimental with lineups, running a group without a true point guard, with Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III in the backcourt and Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey at the forward spots.
Once again, an unconventional lineup paid off and helped New Orleans secure the win. However, Missi's impact highlighted that when this group is at full health, he should be a starter and the team should veer away from the center-less lineup they use when Murray is healthy.
Yves Missi is proving he should be a full-time starter
Over the last five games leading into Monday night against Dallas, Borrego rolled with the lineup featuring Murray, Bey, Herb, Zion, and Murphy III. Although the advanced numbers for this group have been solid, keeping a young center like Missi on the bench and having him share minutes with Karlo Matkovic and Derik Queen is unfair.
Adding a near 7-footer to a lineup already filled with size and length would be deadly for New Orleans. His ability to rock the rim, alter shots at the team's basket, set big screens, and crash the glass and outmatch opposing bigs is just something Herb can't replicate. When the Pelicans go small, the obvious flaw defensively is that teams can attack the rim and crash the glass with ease, but when you put Missi out there, that changes.
Down the stretch, the Pelicans' goal is to build chemistry and momentum heading into the 2026-27 season. Rolling a lineup that features small ball works in small sample sizes, as seen in this recent stretch. But in the modern NBA, where some nights you have to deal with a 7-foot-5 giant who plays like a guard, small ball doesn't get you very far. When you have your potential center of the future giving the team great production and impacting winning as one of two players with a positive net rating, where is the value in continuing to have him be a second-unit energy guy?
Every single game, Missi unlocks a new part of his offensive bag and becomes an even better rim protector, and his performance against the Mavericks was the latest chapter in that story. With the home stretch of the season here, it's time James Borrego makes him a full-time starter.