Has this board really given up on Missi?

Probably because he's still seems far away mentally. He's also not a good enough rebounder and has a bad habit of chasing and switchinf onto players on the perimeter. He's also a poor finisher at this position. No reason why he isn't at 60% at the very minimum.

He can get there but it's hard to envision based on what he's shown so far. He would have to take a giant leap to be a starter level big. He's a good rotation guy right now with the potential to develop into an anchor type. But it feels like he's another year away.

He needs to have taken a major jump on the defensive boards this offseason. Otherwise we are severely behind the 8-ball if he’s starting just looking at the other Cs in the west.

Asking Missi to step into a starting role for a team wanting to win means the season is over before it starts. He would be the worst starting center in the entire western conference. When he flashed last year it was primarily against bench units in short bursts. The center spot is the single biggest reason that this team has fallen off a cliff the last two seasons. To run it back with the same undersized group is insane.

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Asking Missi to step into a starting role for a team wanting to win means the season is over before it starts.

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As it stands now, Queen will be the starting Center. Missi will get tons of time and some starts, depending on the match up. But until Queen gets lighter and quicker, he'll be the 5, and he'll start.

Because for a lot of folks projecting reasonable player growth and development is delusional, pie-in-the-sky optimism.

Missi profiles very much like Clint Capela who became a starter in his 3rd season, averaging 12/8/2 on 25 minutes a game and grew from there.

Nothing is for sure, but think that's.a reasonable forecast for Missi.

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As it stands now, Queen will be the starting Center

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If that's the case the pels are going to get abused at the rim.

Well, there you go

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Chris Haynes
Sources: New York Knicks have tried feverishly to trade for New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi after losing Mitchell Robinson, but offers have been rejected multiple times. Pelicans view Missi as a vital core figure and the message is that he’s unavailable.

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I still have no idea what’s the vision for the roster. It seems to be running on two different timelines at the same time. The Zion, Trey, Herb, and Murray win now as well as the Queen, Fears, and I’m assuming Missi rebuild approach. The issue is that these two timelines don’t fit together.

It's not crazy to look at Pels and say '24 was an injury wipe out season and '25 was coaching change disaster + trying to start two rooks half the year.

No bueno.

Veteran line-up of Murray/Murphy/Jones/Willamson/Bey will compete even in this west.

As for Missi, I'll let Dylan Sanders speak...

"The New Orleans Pelicans' offense was +1.5 points per 100 possessions with Missi on the court. He is an elite offensive rebounder and is great at putback dunks. They were +5.4 points overall thanks to his defensive benefits.

Missi is far from perfect. He's a raw basketball player who hasn't been playing the sport as long as those around him, but saying he didn't improve at all and was a complete liability on offense is disingenuous."

Are we trying to make the postseason and do something? Or is this year a rebuilding year?

If we're rebuilding, then make Missi our starting center and bet on developing him in a quality piece for the long term.

If we're really trying to win next season, then Missi hasn't yet shown himself to be a starting center on a team trying to make the playoffs.