The argument for Zion Williamson for Rookie of the Year has been ever-present since his return to the New Orleans Pelicans in late January.
Zion Williamson and Ja Morant will be compared to each other for the rest of their careers, whether they like it or not.
In the NBA and other professional sporting leagues alike, when two potential superstars are taken number one and two overall in the draft, the question remains, ‘Which team won?’ For the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans, much is yet to be seen to determine who came out victorious in the 2019 NBA Draft. Both have clearly shown glimpses of potential greatness in the future.
Comparing the amount the two have played so far this season, it only makes sense to hand the trophy to Morant. He’s played 40 more games than Zion and has the Grizzlies sitting in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The situation is reminiscent of the Malcolm Brogdon versus Joel Embiid Rookie of the Year race in 2016 where Embiid was clearly the best rookie but played in just 31 games as opposed to Brogdon’s 75, and the Milwaukee Bucks were also 42-40 as opposed to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers at 28-54. While the difference of talent between Morant and Williamson isn’t as drastic as Brogdon and Embiid, the principle applies nonetheless.
Despite his lack of experience compared to Morant in their young careers, Zion has captivated crowds, scored at will and shown that he will be a threat to the best of them for years to come. He’s truly a groundbreaking talent. Not to mention, Williamson is averaging 23.6 points per game to Morant’s 17.6, 6.8 rebounds to 3.5 and shooting 58.9 percent as opposed to 49.2 percent.
They’ve both played incredible ball thus far, that’s indisputable. But if Zion has any shot of winning the award, multiple things have to fall into place.