Team Needs: A Point Guard Of The Future, Center Help, Wing Depth,
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the more interesting teams entering the NBA offseason, one that comes on the heels of a postseason berth and a quick exit from the first round. It seems like they are prepared to build around Zion Williamson, so now, the question becomes how does the rest of the offense fit around him?
Are Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum long-term running mates? Will Jonas Valanciunas come back? Who makes up the core of this team, outside of Williamson and, presumably, the 1-2 punch of Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones? The good news for New Orleans is that Williamson is a star when he’s able to stay healthy, there are avenues they can go down if they decide to move Ingram and/or McCollum, and of course, the team is able to address holes in the 2024 NBA Draft with the No. 21 overall pick, which is one of the leftover selections they have from the Jrue Holiday trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
When that pick arrived, the Pelicans unsurprisingly went with one of the best bigs still available in Baylor’s Yves Missi.
Yves Missi (No. 21 Overall), B+: The Pelicans are clearly in the market for a long-term center, and Missi might be the guy. He is very athletic, doesn’t need the ball, and should be able to protect the rim and rebound. It’s a pretty straight-ahead archetype, and you wouldn’t pick Missi’s offensive skill set in a vacuum to pair with Zion Williamson, but he can be a quality two-way option.