It’ll be one Rookie of the Month vs. another Friday night at Smoothie King Center when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Washington Wizards.

After a strong finish to 2024, rookie big men Yves Missi and Alexandre Sarr rise to No. 1 and 2, respectively. Yves Missi’s trek from being drafted at No. 21 overall last June to topping the first Kia Rookie Ladder of 2025 might seem a long and challenging one.

Rookie center Yves Missi, who’s only been playing organized basketball for about 4 to 5 years, is quickly ascending into one of the league’s better starting centers. He now is the betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year, according to BetGM.

Many NBA draft experts thought Pelicans' center Yves Missi was going to need a little time to develop. Just 30 games into his NBA career, Missi is now at the head of the rookie class.

Pelicans center Yves Missi and Wizards center Alexandre Sarr have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month for December.

Pelicans center Yves Missi, who has steadily risen weekly, has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Year for December.

Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans was awarded Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December as breakout season continues.

After being named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, Alexandre Sarr took the top spot in the latest Rookie Wire Power Rankings.