Yves Missi's Knee Bruise Adds Another Dent to the Pelicans' Frontcourt
Underdog NBA reported that Yves Missi is listed out for Wednesday.
The New Orleans Pelicans are officially down another big man, with Yves Missi ruled out for Wednesday's game thanks to a left knee bone bruise.
If you are wondering how it happened, it is the most Pelicans injury imaginable. Zion Williamson got his driving shot blocked by , lost his balance, and crashed directly into Missi's leg during a late October game against the . Friendly fire in the paint is just a brutal way to lose your starting center.
This is a massive buzzkill for anyone who watched Missi absolutely detonate in the season opener against the Indiana Pacers. The guy dropped 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. That is the kind of stat line that makes fantasy managers scramble to the waiver wire at 2 a.m.
Now, the sportsbooks are going to have to adjust the rebounding props for the entire New Orleans frontcourt. When a guy who was pulling down 15 boards suddenly vanishes from the rotation, those available rebounds have to go somewhere, and the betting lines will shift accordingly to account for the missing production.
Missi only averaged 5.7 points and 5.8 rebounds last season, so this year was shaping up to be a massive breakout. Instead, he is stuck in street clothes with an injury that notoriously lingers. Bone bruises are the NBA's version of a check engine light. Nobody actually knows how long it takes to fix, but you definitely cannot ignore it.
There is no official timetable for his return yet, meaning New Orleans has to patch together a frontcourt rotation on the fly. Until the medical staff gives the green light, expect Missi to remain a permanent fixture on the inactive list while the Pelicans try to survive the week.