New Orleans Pelicans: 3 observations about Zion Williamson’s early play

2. Unlocking his offensive potential

Williamson has attempted 11 3s in 10 games so far. However all four makes were in his debut, and he’s missed his last seven attempts, including three against the Bucks. That’s the only other time he’s attempted multiple 3s in a game in his pro career.

In 33 games at Duke, he converted 33.8 percent of 3-point attempts, taking 2.2 per game. In 15 of those 33 games he attempted multiple 3s, and he stayed fairly consistent to his season average, converting 32.8 percent of attempts in games where he attempted multiple 3s.

Williamson needs a healthy offseason to work on his perimeter shooting to open up another part of his game — his passing. He didn’t have to be a playmaker alongside Tre Jones, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish while at Duke, but the same couldn’t be said for his prep career at Spartanburg Day.

He sees the floor well and is a skilled passer. While he’ll be on the receiving end of a lot of lobs in transition, he could also be a distributor to ease the burden on his teammates. Being able to play on the perimeter will open up the floor for his teammates, too, instead of receiving the Rajon Rondo or, more appropriately, Ben Simmons treatment where defenders sag off him to try to beat him to his spot on drives.

For so long, Williamson has been able to use his freak athleticism to his advantage. As he grows into the pace and duration of the NBA, how he develops and gets more comfortable will tell us more about what his offensive ceiling is.