What to expect from New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson early on
By Alec Liebsch
The most-hyped prospect since Anthony Davis is set to make his NBA debut next week. What should people expect from Zion Williamson right away?
The New Orleans Pelicans‘ future is finally here. Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, No. 1 pick and franchise centerpiece Zion Williamson is set to make his NBA debut on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The Pelicans are starting to heat up in these cold winter months and the hope is that Williamson will add fuel to that fire.
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Listed at 6’6″ and 285 pounds, Williamson’s package of attributes is unique among NBA prospect. His off-the-charts athleticism and strength made him virtually unguardable at Duke, where he averaged 41.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.9 steals and 3.1 blocks per 100 possessions.
That unique body and skill set was not perfect, though. New Orleans was extra cautious with Williamson, barely playing him in Summer League and holding him out several months after a preseason knee issue. He was also being trained to run differently, per ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, which sounded concerning but seemed to be by design.
It wouldn’t have shocked me to see the Pelicans hold him out the whole season, but their roster is also built around him and a playoff berth the season after unloading Anthony Davis would be a huge victory for the franchise.
Can Williamson help them get there right away? Currently NOLA is 16-26, 3½ games back of the eighth-place team in the West, the upstart Memphis Grizzlies (who, interestingly enough, are built around a rookie too).
The gap between the Pelicans and Memphis isn’t a mountain, but being in 12th place is; New Orleans will have to leapfrog San Antonio, Portland and Phoenix before Memphis just to earn a playoff spot. On the positive side, the Pelicans on Thursday night jumped ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves by percentage points with their overtime win over the Jazz.
How can Williamson help the Pelicans right now?