The New Orleans Pelicans didn't add a center this offseason. Will that come back to haunt them, or will Derik Queen and Yves Missi prove they made the right call?
As the New Orleans Pelicans approach training camp in just a few days, it is notable that they decided against adding a true contributor at center, despite that being at the top of many people's wish lists.
Instead, it is going to be up to Yves Missi and Derik Queen to step up and show some serious growth if this team wants a fighting chance on defense. That is one of the reasons they went after Jamahl Mosley and his staff, though, as that is their specialty.
There was a fun social media interaction between the two of them earlier this offseason, in which they were fighting back against the narrative that the team needed to add another big.
Missi shared the graphic below, which showcased that he had the fourth-best rim defensive field goal% against the expected rate. He was above players like Evan Mobley, Jaden McDaniels and Donovan Clingan, and was tied with Brook Lopez.
His reaction was a simple shrug emoji. Queen replied with "got no big Yves." It doesn't take a genius to read through the lines here.
Also, Missi certainly deserves to flex his rim protection skills. He is one of the more underrated players in the NBA in that regard, at least in terms of reputation. He was 95th percentile, per CleaningTheGlass, among bigs in block rate last season.
Another area where the 22-year-old exceeded what people might not know was his offensive rebounding rate. Something that his elite athleticism helped with, he lacked the play strength to compete on the defensive boards. He was 88th percentile on offense and 32nd on defense.
Still, though, the Pelicans will likely be starting him to begin the year, as he is their best defensive option. They'll still rely on Queen, though, given that he's the only other "center" aside from DeAndre Jordan, who is mostly a player-coach. Jordan can still play, though; he was always effective in the short bursts he played last year.
Queen was listed an inch taller on the training camp roster, bringing him up to 6-foot-10, which would be great if he did actually grow and it wasn't just a measurement thing. He is a very fun offensive option at center, though inefficient as a rookie, and had the reverse success of Missi. He was 77th percentile with defensive rebounds and 38th on offense. The team's defense was six points worse with him on the court per 100 possessions.
Anything this new staff can help unlock for him on defense would be very welcome. If these two can prove to be a solid center corps, this team would take an instant major step forward this season.o
