Zion Williamson doesn’t mean playoffs for New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans fans alike are thrilled at Zion Williamson’s expected return Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean the Pelicans can ignite a playoff run.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been one of the hottest names among writers, broadcasters and fans so far this NBA season. The thunderous dunker, while playing for coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils as well as during the preseason in the NBA, showed bits and pieces of what has the potential to be a phenomenal professional career.

But we have to remember — he has yet to play a single minute at the highest level. The Pelicans, who selected him No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, are 17-27 and in 12th place in the Western Conference without Williamson. The halfway point of the season has come and gone already and All-Star Weekend inches closer and closer.

That record, at times, doesn’t exactly reflect the way the Pelicans have played in the last month. After losing 13 straight from Nov. 23 to Dec. 17, New Orleans has resurfaced as a competitive force in the West, going 11-5 over the last month with wins over the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, and Utah Jazz.

Over that time frame, Brandon Ingram has continued his ascent to stardom averaging 25 points per game, including a 49-point explosion in the Pelicans’ overtime win against the Jazz.

One can hope that adding Zion to that mix will bode for the Pelicans, but that can’t be guaranteed for a team which appears to be at their peak of playing together thus far. Each player has found his niche (including the young core who dove in head-first to a bulk of minutes early on) and New Orleans has all the momentum they need to keep the wins falling in their favor.

Throwing in a monstrous body and player like Zion isn’t exactly ideal, not to mention Zion coming off an injury that kept him out for a significant amount of time.

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The NBA requires spacing and shooters. The Pelicans have established both. With that spacing comes the ability for Zion to attack the rim, a clear strength and point of emphasis in his game. Assuming the rookie runs into some difficulty with more physical play and double teams, it’s likely this will slow the pace of the game, and thus the ball movement, down.

On a team that has a lot of youth, ball movement to create open shots and lanes to the rim is essential — and that’s what the Pelicans currently possess. Don’t expect the Zion transition to go smoothly on that front.

Don’t forget the other teams in the West as well. As the Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers continue to rule the roost, the Jazz, Rockets and Dallas Mavericks remain as formidable as ever.

With the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies currently vying for the eighth spot in the West (and all are ahead of the Pelicans in the current standings), it won’t be easy for New Orleans to climb from 12th.

The Blazers have Damian Lillard, the Suns have Devin Booker and new head coach Monty Williams, the Spurs are the Spurs and Ja Morant is an absolute freak of nature on the basketball court for Memphis.

Considering the high level of competition going forward and the fact that New Orleans has already completed 44 games, it won’t be easy to go out every night knowing that there is a mountain of losses to overcome.

The West remains the West and adding a boulder-shouldered ball of explosive energy in Zion Williamson to a team that is in the middle of a hot streak won’t go smoothly.

Expect to see the Pelicans in the playoffs for years to come, but not in 2020.