The Pelicans have reason to breathe easier after Yves Missi’s scary-looking left knee injury turned out to be a bone bruise, not something worse. Missi had to be carried off the floor Friday night after colliding with teammate Zion Williamson, but an MRI cleared up the biggest concern. Coach Jamahl Mosley said he let the team know at Saturday’s film session, and the news brought relief.
Missi has earned that reaction. He’s coming off a strong preseason and opened the year against Indiana with 13 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 30 minutes. Mosley has even been talking about him like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
“I thought Yves was incredible,” Mosley said after Wednesday’s game. “Absolutely incredible.
Everything we’ve talked about him being and doing was exactly what he showed. Being able to protect the rim, being able to get out in transition.
In the pick and roll, being able to cover for others as the low man. He did a lot of very good things for us tonight.
His energy and his effort is exactly what we are going to continue to need from him on a nightly basis.”
New Orleans hasn’t put a timetable on Missi’s return, so the frontcourt minutes will have to be sorted out without him for now. Mosley said the Pelicans will go with a “committee” approach, and the options are Derik Queen, Karlo Matkovic and DeAndre Jordan.
“We have a talented roster. It’s even more talented when it’s tied together,” Mosley added.
“Because guys are going to have to step in and step up in big moments. Small pieces from each one being able to give a little more than they gave the night before.
On any given night, it can be anybody’s number called.”
Elsewhere in the Southwest Division, Walter Clayton is already on his third team as he starts his second NBA season, and he sounds happy about landing with Dallas. After being waived by Memphis, he signed a two-way deal with the Mavericks on Wednesday and chose them over several other suitors. Clayton pointed to the mix of youth and experience around him as part of the appeal.
“Obviously, we’ve got some younger guys and then we’ve got some very older guys that we can learn from who have been doing it for a while,” he said. “So I think it’s just a good group, good core. I think we can make something special out of here.”
In Houston, the Rockets are banking on a bigger, faster version of themselves to keep pace with the West’s best. Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reports that the team believes its offseason additions, plus the returns of Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams from injury, give it a real shot. Ime Udoka has pushed the offense toward a quicker tempo, and the roster now has more lineup flexibility to match.
VanVleet sees the logic.
“We got so many different weapons and lineups this year, so it gives everybody more possessions and opportunities,” VanVleet said. “We’ve been a huge possession team over the last few years and we thought that playing fast can create more advantages, especially early on in a season. Our defense leads to easy offense, so just creates easier baskets.”
The Spurs, meanwhile, are still searching for answers after stumbling to an unexpected 0-2 start. In Friday’s loss to Houston, their new three-guard starting group of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper continued to have trouble, finishing minus-11 in the 11 minutes they shared the floor. Iko noted that the offense is leaning too heavily on Victor Wembanyama, whose shot hasn’t been there through the first two games, and San Antonio still needs more three-point help beyond Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie.
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Alperen Sengun Is Giving The Rockets Another Weapon Early
The Rockets kept their unbeaten start rolling with a win over the Hawks, and Alperen Sengun again looked like a player who can expand Houstons offensive options beyond the obvious. With Fred VanVleet resting, Sengun handled a heavier playmaking load and finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, giving the Rockets another creator to lean on while Kevin Durant paced the team with 22 points.
Houston now gets a quick chance to see whether this early rhythm travels, because the Rockets and Hawks meet again in Atlanta on Monday. The first meeting offered a useful snapshot of how much balance the Rockets can find when Sengun is involved as both scorer and facilitator, and that versatility could matter even more if the rematch turns into another halfcourt grind. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Frontcourt Just Got Thinner With Steven Adams Sidelined Again
Steven Adams will miss at least one more game for Houston as the veteran center continues to work through a right soleus strain, according to the teams injury report. The setback comes after Adams already sat out the season opener with calf soreness and has been eased in with limited minutes since, leaving the Rockets to keep adjusting their frontcourt rotation early in the season.
Ime Udoka is expected to offer a more detailed update before Monday nights game against the Hawks, which should give a better sense of where Adams stands in the recovery process. For a team that has been careful managing his workload, the next timeline matters, because Houston has not had many chances to build continuity with its interior depth intact. [Read more 🡒]
Reed Sheppard Just Gave The Rockets A Rotation Boost They Needed
Reed Sheppards rough night in the season opener could have easily lingered, but the rookie was right back in the mix when the Rockets needed another ballhandler. With Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart sidelined, Houston turned to Sheppard in the starting lineup against Atlanta, and he looked far more settled as the game wore on, giving the offense a steadier rhythm while also handling a bigger workload than usual.
He answered with a sharp all-around outing and helped Houston leave with a 121-114 win, exactly the kind of rotation lift the team was hoping to find in the early going. Ime Udoka pointed to Sheppards performance and defensive activity afterward, which matters even more for a club trying to stay afloat while its veteran guards are out and its depth is being tested this early. [Read more 🡒]