The Whiteboard: Yves Missi's ROTY campaign is the only bright spot for Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have gone 1-20 over their past 21 games. They last (barely) won on Dec. 5, narrowly defeating the Phoenix Suns 126-124. To say this season has been a drag for the Bayou Boys would be a tremendous underestimation of the circumstances. Nevertheless, one largely positive development has materialized through the trials and tribulations: Yves Missi.

Missi, the 21st pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, was deemed a raw albeit talented prospect heading into Year 1 of his pro career. Yet, New Orleans' frontcourt getting decimated by injuries early vaulted him into a consistent, meaningful rule in their rotation. Suddenly, he's transformed into a legitimate long-term building block for a seemingly directionless Pelicans organization.

Yves Missi's ROTY campaign is the only glimmer of hope in New Orleans this season

Following a solid finish to the calendar year, Missi climbed to the top spot of the NBA's Kia Rookie Ladder. He unseated Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs for pole position. While the former's play hasn't translated to success in New Orleans, his efforts have demonstrated the Pelicans presently have their center of the future.

Since joining the starting five on Nov. 1, Missi has averaged 9.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game across 28 contests. He's done so while maintaining a 57 percent effective field goal rate, compared to the league-average clip of 54.1. Nonetheless, efficient scoring aside, the 20-year-old has been as advertised on the defensive end of the floor.

Despite the Pelicans stray further from contention, Missi is getting more comfortable as a rim protector with each rep. His descending defensive rating from October (121.3) to December (116.7) highlights the Baylor product's continued growth as a paint-patrolling big man. Moreover, he ranks second among rookies in swats (46), trailing only Washington Wizards seven-footer Alexander Sarr.

If the Pelicans can hang their hats on any aspect of the 2024-25 campaign, it's how ready Missi has proven to handle a sizable role. He's provided a sense of stability as the fates of core franchise players like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram hang in the balance. His presence alongside standout wing Trey Murphy III feels like the only certainty in New Orleans beyond this year.

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NBA news roundup:

• Stephen Curry went a perfect 8-8 from 3 in the Golden State Warriors' 139-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk, that marks the most threes the superstar sharpshooter made in a game without missing and one shy of the NBA record.

• Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson tweaked his ankle in the team's 113-110 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he ostensibly avoided the worst-case scenario, considering the New York Post's Brian Lewis revealed that X-ray imaging came up negative. Fortunately, this presumably shouldn't impact the 3-and-D wing value on the trade market.

• Amid another lost year for the Portland Trail Blazers, it's less likely that head coach Chauncey Billups will stick around. The Rose Garden Report's ($) Sean Highkin deemed it "hard to picture" the retired Hall of Fame player turned sideline general.

How do the Minnesota Timberwolves proceed with Julius Randle?

The optics suggest that the early results of the Julius Randle-Minnesota Timberwolves era haven't been too bad. He's posting 20-7-4 nightly splits and his squad is only two games back of the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference. Be that as it may, the vibes aren't so great in the North Star State. So, how will Tim Connelly and the front office respond?

Organizational centerpiece Anthony Edwards has candidly and publicly blasted the Timberwolves this season for lacking effort, identity and more. Fans routinely call for Randle's head any time he makes a mistake. Meanwhile, Minnesota is one of four clubs above the dreaded second apron, though they appear to be drifting away from being title contenders. They're virtually in no man's land, an extremely unenviable position.

Boasting the league's highest payroll, could the Timberwolves try to shed salary by dumping Randle's contract? Will they try to re-sign him to a new deal to ease the financial burden moving forward? Or might the Timberwolves be betting on the three-time All-Star declining his $30.93 million player option for 2025-26 and hitting the open market?

Should the Wolves choose the first of the three options, are they willing to attach draft capital to Randle to facilitate a swap? No offense to the veteran big, but there isn't a list of prospective suitors lining up for his services, especially at that cost. He's too good for tanking teams and isn't an ideal fit for those with championship aspirations, making him a tough asset to gauge.

Whatever the Timberwolves decide to do with Randle, the clock is officially ticking. It's becoming increasingly clear they cannot properly construct a roster around Edwards if the ex-New York Knick is operating as the Robin to his Batman.