Upside and Motor: Yves Missi could be the Pelicans' missing link

Shocking. The well-documented "worst" rookie class in years has struggled out of the gate.

This is par for the course with a bunch of teenagers and early 20-somethings cutting their teeth at the NBA level, of course. It's hard to start strong in the pros, but this weak and unpredictable rookie class has been, well, weak and unpredictable at unprecedented levels. Not too many folks, especially from the top of the draft board, have stood out.

The preseason Rookie of the Year favorites, Zach Edey and Reed Sheppard, have both seen limited minutes so far. Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick, is coming off the bench in Atlanta. Donovan Clingan was built for immediate production, but he's averaging 13.8 minutes in Portland. The intersection of opportunity and production just has not been there for most folks.

It's the first week of the season, so hold fast. Be patient. It takes time for rookies to evolve and break out. That said, it hasn't been a complete wastleland. There have been a couple real eye-catchers, perhaps none more so than New Orleans Pelicans big man Yves Missi.

Yves Missi is here to save the wayward Pelicans

How many NBA teams have been more consistently disappointing than New Orleans in recent years? On the surface, the Pelicans have it all. A tier-one, Greek god superstar in Zion Williamson. A couple extremely talented co-stars in Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum (and now Dejounte Murray, pending health). Plus, a few classic stars-in-roles, such as Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jordan Hawkins.

More than that, GM David Griffin has stuffed the Pelicans' stores with future draft picks to leverage in trade talks. Few teams are better equipped to upgrade their roster in a hurry. And yet, the precise allocation of those resources have left fans scratching their heads. The Pelicans let Jonas Valanciunas walk this summer and just... didn't replace him. Not with an established, floor-spacing vet, at least.

Before the Murray injury, New Orleans planned on running out a small-ball starting five with Herb Jones as the nominal "center." With Murray on the sideline, Daniel Theis has stepped into the starting gig, with muted results.

There's no excuse for New Orleans' lack of investment at the position, but Yves Missi appears ready to absolve the front office of its inaction. The 21st overall pick out of Baylor, Missi has several traits you can't teach. Starting with off-the-charts, utterly bonkers athleticism at 6-foot-11.

The 20-year-old, a native of Belgium, can move in ways difficult for the standard human mind to comprehend. His ground coverage on the defensive back line has been elite from the jump. He is far and away New Orleans' best rim protector, a skill that should vault him into a starting role before long. Any pre-draft concerns about spacing are out the window, especially if the alternative is Theis, who has whiffed on all six of his 3-point attempts to open the season.

It's worth experimenting with small-ball units. Willie Green should keep that option in his back pocket. That said, it's hard to field a competent defense in today's NBA without a strong presence in the paint. Rim protection is gold, and while Herb Jones has some weak side shot-blocking equity, he's best served wreaking havoc on the perimeter. Zion Williamson has theoretical defensive upside, but the effort and awareness just isn't there.

So, that's why Missi has been such a special revelation for New Orleans. He's averaging 2.3 blocks and 0.8 steals in just 21.8 minutes per game, collecting 8.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists for good measure. The offense isn't overly advanced, but Missi is making solid passing reads and avoiding copious turnovers. He's playing smart, efficient, and within himself, and that's exactly what this explosive Pelicans offense needs from a big man. And, every now and then, he gives us a flash like this.

It's hard to overstate how impressive the defense has been, though. That is where Missi's value is rooted. His vertical pop, lateral quickness, and dialed-in instincts create the perfect storm for a high-energy backup big who's about to get his starting promotion. Missi is roving for steals and blocks without committing a lot of fouls, which is often a bugaboo for rookie bigs. In fact, it was a frequent point of emphasis at Baylor. Missi is putting the pieces together awfully quick and he occupies a position of absolute necessity for New Orleans.

Expect to hear his name more as the season progresses. At this rate, the Pelicans won't be able to keep Missi on a leash much longer.

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You're wrong to panic about slow starts

You're a Grizzlies fan. A Rockets fan. A Hawks fan. And you're wondering why a couple second-round picks from the Toronto Raptors have outperformed your lottery picks so far.

That is fair. We live in a world of instant gratification, and when we tune in every other night to watch our teams play basketball, we want to see a quality product. That said, it's important to play the long game with rookies. It always takes time, and we knew well in advance that this was a more flawed, chaotic, and largely unsettled crop of talent than usual.

Zach Edey is the starting center in Memphis. He's averaging 16.0 minutes per game and 3.8 fouls. The speed of NBA basketball has been a challenge, compounded by his newfound responsbilities on defense. Edey was basically on a no-foul mandate at Purdue because the Boilermakers couldn't afford to lose him. In Memphis, he's being asked to play far more free and loose — aggressive. That adjustment period will take time.

We don't need to throw in the towel on Reed Sheppard because he's stuck behind a line of more experienced guards in Houston, nor should we close the book on Zaccharie Risacher or Alex Sarr based on a four-game sample. The NBA Draft game is one of patience and slow, often nonlinear evolution over time.

Who are the five best rookies in the NBA after one week?

It's a scarce list, but somebody has to write it. This is quite literally the worst opening week for an NBA Draft class... maybe ever? And yet, despite the stunning lack of meaningful production, these rooks have made a strong (or at least faint-but-recognizable) first impression.

5. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

It hasn't been the best start, but again, the options are slim. Edey has only recorded one turnover across four appearances and he did post a near double-double — 13 points and nine rebounds — in just 22 minutes in his second career game. Give it time.

4. Jonathan Mogbo, Toronto Raptors

Jonathan Mogbo has made a profound impact in just 14.3 minutes per game for Toronto, showcasing a uniquely modern skill set that should make him invaluable to the Raptors moving forward. There was a lot of debate around Mogbo's lack of size (6-foot-6) and shooting pre-draft, but his defensive range, combined with legitimate face-up scoring and passing chops in the frontcourt, is more than enough to provide consistently positive value.

3. Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors

Toronto hasn't even debuted its lottery pick, Ja'Kobe Walter, but the Raptors seem to have nailed their draft. Jamal Shead is a rocket shot out of a canon for Toronto, as we all should've expected. One of college basketball's brightest stars, Shead is an easy fan favorite due to his intensity on the defensive end. Size be damned, the 6-foot point guard is smothering opposing ball-handlers while averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 assists in 20.3 minutes. He's a day-one rotation piece, which is uncommon for second-round picks.

2. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns

Ryan Dunn has only received 14.8 minutes per game so far, but expect that number to skyrocket exponentially if he keeps up his current rate of production. Dunn was arguably the best defender in college basketball last season, so his high stock rate and remarkable versatility on that end should come as no surprise. What has caught folks off guard, however, is that a notoriously inept college shooter is now hitting 43.8 percent of his 3s. It's a small sample size, but Dunn's touch and confidence is worlds away from where it was a few months ago. He's going to be a real piece for the Suns.

1. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans

It shouldn't take long for Yves Missi to take over the starting center role in NOLA. We'll see what the Pelicans do once Dejounte Murray is back in the rotation, but Missi's rangy and vertical presence on the back line is impossible to replicate on that roster.

Who has the belt right now? A mini-NBA mock draft