Yves Missi racks up four blocks in Dallas, then grades his near-windmill a seven: ‘It’s decent’

DALLAS — Oct. 14, 2026 — Yves Missi did not need a big scoring night to leave a mark. In the New Orleans Pelicans’ 101-97 preseason win at American Airlines Center, the second-year center finished with six points, nine rebounds, one steal and four blocks in 17 minutes, and he was blunt about what coach Jamahl Mosley wants from him.

Missi shot 3-of-6 from the field with no free-throw attempts. Seven of his nine boards came on the defensive glass. New Orleans forced turnovers early, held Dallas to 18 points in the first quarter and 18 again in the third, and improved to 2-1 in the preseason.

Defense first

Asked about the defensive performance, Missi pointed to the first half.

“I think it was good, especially the first half,” he said. “We were physical. You’re trying to see what the ref is going to let us get away with, and then it was just good intensity. Everyone was moving in sync, everyone was communicating. So it was good.”

He said Mosley’s defensive concepts are settling in. “Also, defensive concept that Coach Mosley came up with,” Missi said. “We used to get used to it, and you can see as the game goes, we’re getting better at it, and we’re getting more comfortable with it. So it’s a good thing.”

On his own comfort under Mosley, Missi kept it simple. “Feeling good. Feeling better,” he said. “Just trying to figure out a little bit on the NBA game. And third game, I feel like today was a little better.”

Blocks, then stops

The four blocks stood out, but Missi said the staff’s message is bigger than swats.

“He told me that the system that we’re in, plus is that sometimes I won’t be able to get the block, but just be able to get a stop is the main thing,” Missi said. “And so tonight, obviously, get four blocks. But yeah, I cannot get a block every time. So even if you get a stop, that’s the best you can do.”

The windmill that wasn’t

Missi’s highlight reel moment almost went bigger. After a steal near half court, he attacked for a dunk and graded himself afterward.

“I was trying to do a windmill, then I jumped a little too close to the basket,” he said. “Everyone was like, boo. I’m like, it’s not that bad of a dunk. It’s decent.” Asked for a grade out of 10, he landed on a seven. “Seven and one, but it’s not bad,” Missi said.

Why it matters

New Orleans is still mixing lineups — Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy came off the bench while Karlo Matković started — and Mosley is stressing communication on the defensive end. Missi’s night was the paint version of that message: physical early, talk through the concepts, and take the stop when the block is not there. The Pelicans open the regular season at home against Indiana on Oct. 21.