This is the moment every basketball fan had been waiting for. Zion Williamson finally playing in an NBA basketball game. He has been out for MONTHS dealing with a knee injury. I mean the guy is 6’7″ and 284 pounds. That’s a big man and all of that weight on the knees will start to take a toll on the body. So, I don’t blame the Pelicans for refusing to play him until now. I’m honestly shocked they played him this early. But in the best interest of the franchise and his career I think restricting his minutes right now is the best option. Zion had a very solid outing finishing with 22 points 7 rebounds and 3 assists in his long awaited debut. While also shooting 8-11 from the field and 4/4 from three.
Hold Your Horses..
Now I understand all of the hype that this guy brings, trust me. I watched Zion when he was a MONSTER in high school and when he was a superstar at Duke. I really do believe that Zion will be a superstar in the NBA and that he is a one of a kind player. I don’t see anything in his game that tells me that Zion cant be the best player in the league one day. I don’t see anything in his game that would limit him so a certain role other than SUPERSTAR. Zion Williamson is special and even that might be an understatement. But lets calm down with the “rookie of the year” posts and player comparisons. Zion had a very good game. He could only play in four minute increments because of his knee. He started the game off kind of slow but still made some good plays and eventually took over in the fourth quarter. Yes, he had a good game, but lets pay attention to that phrase “a good game”. It was only one game, he has missed literally half of the season and still weighs way too much for the Pelicans to be safe with him on the floor for a long period of time. We need to take a step back and remember that this guy, as good as he is, is not one hundred percent healthy and needs to be before everybody loses their minds. But…
The Pelicans: A New Hope
Pelicans fans have a lot to look forward to. Maybe not this season (Although many fans think that a late push for the playoffs is possible) but in the near future I see the pelicans being very good. Zion is gives a ton of hope to pelicans fans. I believe that if he can get and stay healthy, the pelicans could be a 4-5 seed next season. Zion is a very capable interior scorer. We know that, I mean just look at him. But hes also a very good re-bounder. His strength combined with his unbelievable athletic ability is a huge advantage for grabbing boards especially on the offensive side. But he’s also a very good passer too. This is the same guy who ran point guard in high school. He is willing to pass, and doesnt need the ball in his hands to be an effective offensive player. That’s huge for the pelicans offense. Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday need the ball in their hands a lot in order for them to be good. Zion doesn’t which means he will feed them and also will be able to kick out to Lonzo who has been shooting the three a lot better this season. Which brings me to my next point, because Zion has proven he can shoot the three well, the Pelicans will be able to space the floor well. Lastly, one thing I loved about his performance and this is possibly the biggest thing I took away. Was how he didn’t shy away from the moment. When his team needed him, he came up big time and was not afraid of to take the big shots. He was great in the fourth quarter and took the game over with his shooting. I believe if the pelicans have Brandon Ingram, Lonzo ball and Zion Williamson all healthy and playing with each other…
The Pelicans could be SCARY good in the future.
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