Kevon Looneyâs New Orleans Pelicans regular season debut will have to wait. The veteran center suffered a proximal tibiofibular ligament sprain in his left knee during the Pelicansâ preseason trip to Australia and will miss 2â3 weeks, the team announced. Itâs a short-term setback, but one that immediately shifts responsibility to second-year big man Yves Missi, whoâs coming off a quietly impressive rookie campaign.
Missiâs Opportunity Comes Early
Missi, the 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, earned All-Rookie Second Team honors last season after averaging 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game across 67 starts. Now, with Looney and rookie Derik Queen both sidelined, he becomes the Pelicansâ unquestioned anchor in the paint as the regular season begins.
âIâm pretty comfortable,â Missi said during media day. âComing into Year 2, I should be better than last year. Iâm more confident than ever.â
Confidence will be key. Missi led all Pelicans in minutes played (1,956) and games (73) last season â rare durability for a rookie center still adjusting to the leagueâs speed and physicality. His defensive energy, rim protection, and ability to finish around the basket turned him from a âmulti-year projectâ at Baylor into a core piece of New Orleansâ rotation faster than anyone expected.
Looneyâs Absence Magnifies Missiâs Role
Looneyâs arrival this summer â via a two-year, $16 million deal â was meant to bring stability, rebounding, and playoff-tested leadership to the Pelicansâ young frontcourt. Last season with Golden State, he averaged 6.1 rebounds in just 15 minutes per game and remained one of the NBAâs most dependable screen-setters and positional defenders.
Without him, New Orleans loses a steady veteran presence. It also exposes just how thin the teamâs center rotation is to start the year. Queen is still recovering from July wrist surgery, and while Karlo Matkovic and Hunter Dickinson can log spot minutes, neither offers the defensive range or athletic mobility Missi brings.
That puts the sophomore in the spotlight. For a team looking to stay competitive in the Western Conference, Missiâs early-season growth could make the difference between stability and struggle.
Next Step: From Energy Big to Everyday Anchor
Missiâs focus this offseason was on improving his defensive rebounding and finishing efficiency after leaving a few points on the table as a rookie. Heâs not asked to stretch the floor â not yet â but rather to run, rim-protect, and finish lobs created by Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Jordan Poole.
On a roster loaded with scoring options, Missiâs job is simple but critical: clean the glass, protect the rim, and set the tone inside. And with Looneyâs debut delayed, his learning curve just accelerated. Paired with the fact that this Pelicans team no longer has their first round pick in 2026 (due to the draft day trade to acquire the pick that landed Derik Queen), New Orleans in a win-now scenario amongst a competitive Western Conference.
If his rookie season was about proving he belonged then this year is about showing he can anchor a frontcourt â and keep the Pelicans steady until their veteran big man returns.
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