NBA
YM
#21

Yves Missi

Center · New Orleans Pelicans · 6'11", 235 lb · Born May 14, 2004 · Brussels, Belgium · Drafted 21st overall, 2024
All-Rookie 2nd (2025)🇨🇲 CameroonRim protectorLob threat
NBANew Orleans PelicansCenters
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In short

Yves Missi is an athletic, shot-blocking, rim-running center for the New Orleans Pelicans — born in Belgium and raised in Cameroon. Drafted 21st in 2024 out of Baylor, he made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team after a productive rookie year (around 9 points, 8 rebounds, and a block-plus a game), a mobile lob-finisher and rim protector who now represents Cameroon internationally.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
@Minnesota TimberwolvesDrop coverage
Proj. points
5.6
range 2.9–8.3
Line 5.5
52%
to go over
Team win
37%
111–114
Poi 5.6 Lean overReb 5.8 Lean underAss 1.3 Lean underPRA 12.7 Lean under
Likely on himRudy Gobert· 88 Rim protectionElite stopper
5+ pts58%10+ pts7%

Model lines Missi at 5.6 pts (range 2.9–8.3) vs a 5.5 line — a lean to clear it (52%).

Model favors Minnesota Timberwolves (63%), projected 111–114, ~225 total at 96.5 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Missi
The Missi Story — narrated
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An athletic, shot-blocking rim-running center — rim protection and lob finishing for the Pelicans.

Born in Belgium and raised in Cameroon, Missi starred one season at Baylor before New Orleans drafted him 21st in 2024.

🏫 Baylor · 21st, 2024🇨🇲 Cameroon

He made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team with a near double-double rookie season.

All-Rookie 2nd9.1 / 8.2

A mobile lob-finisher and rim protector, he anchors the paint.

1.3 bpgRim protector

He committed to and debuted for the Cameroon national team in 2025.

🇨🇲 National teamTwo-way big
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
5.7
2025-26
RPG
5.8
per game
APG
1.3
per game
FG%
.500
LIFE

Roots & the rise

An athletic, shot-blocking rim-running center — rim protection and lob finishing for the Pelicans.

Yves Missi was born in Brussels, Belgium and grew up in Cameroon before moving to the U.S. in 2021, becoming a five-star recruit and a Big 12 All-Defensive and All-Freshman pick in one season at Baylor. New Orleans drafted him 21st in 2024.

An athletic, vertical center, he made the 2025 All-Rookie Second Team after a productive rookie year — around 9 points, 8 rebounds, and over a block a game as a rotation starter. A mobile lob-finisher and rim protector, he committed to and debuted for the Cameroon national team in 2025.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Missi carries a rich international identity — born in Belgium, raised in Cameroon, and now a member of the Cameroon national team, part of a growing wave of Cameroonian NBA talent. His older brother played college basketball at Harvard and was an Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, and Yves studied finance at Baylor.

His on-court identity is athletic, vertical center play — a mobile 6-foot-11 rim-runner who finishes lobs above the rim, protects the paint (over a block a game), and rebounds, a defensive anchor in the making. His offense is largely rim-dependent, but his athleticism and defensive tools give him a high ceiling as a two-way center for the Pelicans.

PERSONALITY

The person

An athletic, vertical center — rim protection, lob finishing, and rebounding.

Rim protectorBlocks over a shot a game as a defensive anchor in the making.
Lob threatA mobile rim-runner who finishes above the rim.
InternationalBorn in Belgium, raised in Cameroon, plays for Cameroon.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Young Rim-Running Center
Temperament
Steady
Leadership
58/100
Scoring51
Playmaking37
Rebounding80
Perimeter D60
Rim protection81
Spacing35
Athleticism70
Clutch59
a young rim-running center
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Athletic rim protection

Missi's value is athletic, vertical center play — a mobile 6-foot-11 rim-runner who finishes lobs above the rim, protects the paint (over a block a game), and rebounds, an All-Rookie Second Team pick and defensive anchor in the making. That athleticism and rim protection give New Orleans a high-ceiling young center.

Offense to expand

His offense is largely rim-dependent — lobs, putbacks, and finishes rather than self-creation or range — and his role dipped in a reduced second season. But his athleticism, defensive tools, and rebounding give him a high defensive ceiling; expanding his offensive game and re-establishing a larger role are the paths to a fuller two-way center for the Pelicans.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-266619.75.75.81.3.500

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

2025NBA All-Rookie Second Team after a near double-double rookie season
CollegeBig 12 All-Defensive and All-Freshman at Baylor (2024)
InternationalCommitted to and debuted for the Cameroon national team (2025)

Hardware

1×
All-Rookie Second Team (2025)
21st
Draft pick (2024)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 13, 2026

An athletic, shot-blocking rim-running center — a high-ceiling two-way big for the Pelicans.

Missi projects as a long-term rim-protecting, lob-finishing center for New Orleans. His development priorities are expanding his offensive game beyond the rim and re-establishing a larger role after a reduced second season; his athletic and defensive profile gives him a high defensive ceiling.

Rim protectionStrong
AthleticismElite
ReboundingStrong
Offensive rangeLimited

Contract

Draft
21st, 2024 young
Role
Rim-running center upside
Age
22 rising
Bottom line

An athletic, shot-blocking, lob-finishing center with an All-Rookie season and international pedigree — a high-ceiling two-way big for New Orleans, with offense the area to expand.

FAQ

Quick answers

What is Yves Missi known for?

Athletic rim protection and lob finishing — a mobile 6-foot-11 center who blocks shots, finishes above the rim, and rebounds, a 2025 All-Rookie Second Team pick.

Where is Yves Missi from?

He was born in Brussels, Belgium and raised in Cameroon; he now represents the Cameroon national team.

What does Yves Missi need to develop?

His offensive game beyond the rim — he scores largely on lobs and putbacks — and re-establishing a larger role.