New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi spoke at his end-of-season press conference on Monday, April 13, covering development across his second NBA season, changes in role, and team direction under interim head coach James Borrego.
Missi outlined his improvement on defense when discussing year-over-year growth and reads on the court. He stated, “I would say defensively there’s progress. The way I’m reading the court is a little better. I kind of know guys tend to see more. So it helps me be able to help guys on the back side being the low man and understand the league a little more.”
He also addressed how his role shifted compared to his rookie season, emphasizing adaptability across changing minutes. Missi added, “I mean you’re all going to make mistakes anyway so just go out here and just play hard do little stuff that can help the team that can impact or change the momentum. So some of the things that helped.”
He referenced a strong midseason stretch under coach Borrego, noting the team’s potential during that run. He said, “The structure of that defense showed that you have the potential to be able to win games. Now it’s all about the structure, you have the talent and it’s all about just putting it together and be able to play out there.”
Missi also spoke about rookie teammate Derik Queen, highlighting his passing ability during early development moments. He said, “Super impressive. He been here even during training camp. He wasn’t playing or doing anything specific but you could tell that he was super excited to get on the court. He wanted to come back.”
He pointed to one specific performance, adding, “One game that really showed me how good he was was against Dallas. I think he got seven assists in like the first quarter and I was just very impressed by that. I don’t think I ever seen so many passes like that especially for a big.”
Looking ahead to the offseason, Missi identified key areas of focus tied to physical and technical development. He said, “I like three main focuses this summer. Free throws, finishing and obviously rebounding is a big part of it as well and get stronger. Just like Dick said, you got to be in the weight room for sure this summer.”
He also explained how early coaching messages from Borrego influenced his approach after a midseason coaching transition. Missi stated, “He just told us what he needed from us right away. What we need to do to be on the court and those things we try to do try to improve.”
Missi closed by describing his mindset during inconsistent minutes and team struggles, focusing on consistency and response to opportunity. He said, “I would say just having a good mindset. I always say that life is like a stock market. It goes up and down. So regardless how low you get, you always go back up. So just stay consistent, keep working and then whenever you get opportunity, just take advantage of it.”
