Yves Missi's Injury Comes With a Silver Lining for Pelicans at Center

The New Orleans Pelicans have three centers available to help cover Yves Missi's absence. The numbers suggest each can handle part of the assignment.

Derik Queen has supplied the strongest combination of individual rebounding and rim defense. Karlo Matkovic has given New Orleans reasons to expand his limited role. DeAndre Jordan has already demonstrated how much he can help on the glass.

Jamahl Mosley's challenge is deciding how those contributions fit together, and getting more interior production from Zion Williamson alongside them.

But with that challenge should also come answers as New Orleans sorts out its frontcourt preferences, making this a valuable opportunity to gather some extra data and take closer looks at each player in Missi's absence.

Queen has earned the first opportunity

Queen offers the clearest starting point. He averages 8.3 rebounds in 23.9 minutes, including a team-best seven defensive rebounds. He also leads New Orleans in tracked rim attempts defended, with opponents making 10 of 20 against him.

HIs work alongside Williamson has been encouraging. In approximately 35 shared minutes, the Pelicans have allowed 91.1 points per 100 possessions and outscored opponents by 16.3 per 100. Those results support giving Queen the largest share of the available center minutes. They also show that a productive defensive partnership with Williamson is possible.

But Queen's rebounding numbers don't tell the whole story.

According to Basketball-Reference's on/off data, New Orleans secures 69.1% of the available defensive boards with Queen on the floor, compared with 76.5% when he sits.

Queen is doing work on the glass. His lineups still leave too many available to opponents. That distinction should shape how Mosley builds the groups around him.

Matkovic deserves a regular role, while Jordan showing he can help

Matkovic has played only about 17 minutes across two appearances after sitting out the opener. His results warrant a bigger opportunity.

New Orleans has captured 84.6% of available defensive rebounds when he plays, compared with 71.5% when he doesn't, according to Basketball-Reference.

NBA.com's lineup data also shows some promising combinations. The Pelicans have allowed 84 points per 100 possessions with Matkovic and Herb Jones together in approximately 11 minutes. Alongside Williamson, Matkovic's groups have allowed 94.4 per 100 across eight minutes. Those brief appearances give Mosley something worst testing with a regular shift and greater responsibility.

Matkovic averages only two rebounds, so his case rests more on how his groups have performed than on impressive individual totals. His next assignment should establish whether those groups can continue defending and finishing possessions as his workload increases.

Jordan provides another option when rebounding becomes the immediate concern.

He collected nine rebounds, including eight defensive boards, in 20.3 minutes during his lone appearance. New Orleans secured 89.5% of available defensive rebounds with him playing. His pairing with Zion broke even overall while collecting 88.9% of defensive rebounds.

Jordan has shown he can be useful. Mosley has to be careful in using him. He can deploy him when the Pelicans need help closing out possessions, while still evaluating the offensive and defensive results around that rebounding.

Zion has to contribute more

Williamson averages three rebounds in 32.6 minutes. Only two of those come on the defensive glass, and his individual defensive rebound rate is the lowest on the roster.

That's too little production from a player taking so much of the frontcourt's available minutes.

His rim-defense workload has also been limited to just five attempts defended across roughly 98 minutes. However, that doesn't identify missed rotations or assign responsibility for every bucket given up inside.

There is an interesting caveat. The Pelicans have rebounded better collectively with Williamson playing, and several of his center pairings have defended effectively. His low totals don't make a definitive case that he makes those jobs impossible for his teammates. They do leave room for his to take on a larger share of the work.

Queen should lead the center rotation. Matkovic should get considerably more playing time, with Jordan available to help on the glass. If anyone lags behind in their role, that gives New Orleans useful evidence to sort through.

Williamson's contribution must grow alongside theirs. Mosley should judge the lineups by a simple standard: whether they force the miss and secure the ball. Both are required to replace what the Pelicans need from Missi's spot.

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