Zion Williamson is leading the young, fresh Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have fully emerged, and Zion has entered the MVP conversation.
Zion Williamson might be the most unique superstar in the NBA, non-Steph Curry division. Back in full force this season, he is the ultimate bulldozer, a fearsome ball of strength who dips his shoulders and rolls over everybody until he’s somehow at the rim. Zion seems like the least fun player to guard in the league. You know what’s he’s going to do, but you won’t be able to stop it.
He’ll face up from anywhere on the floor, and even when you shade help at the rim, Zion will lower his shoulder to bulldoze forward, knowing that his combination of quick-twitch burst and unprecedented brute strength will get him to the rim. From there, his high-flying athleticism and extensive layup package will finish you off.
He’s averaging 25 points on better than 60 percent from the field, including a LeBronian 73 percent at the rim. He’s also up to 4.7 assists per game, and regularly has games with more than seven assists.
The book on Zion has always been pretty simple: he wants to go left, and if you force him right, he’ll try to spin back left anyway. He still wants to do that. But he is expanding, and that is a scary sight for defenses. Take a look at this righty drive against the Jazz’s Jarred Vanderbilt, including a right-handed finish:
Forcing Zion heavily to the right is starting to become a dangerous game. Giving him space anywhere means he will burrow into you and then trampoline toward the rim.
Watch him spin back to the left and then jump through a Giannis Antetokounmpo contest:
If he does that to Giannis and Jrue Holiday, good luck.
The Pelicans have relied on Zion heavily as they’ve risen to the top of the Western Conference despite the long-term absence of Brandon Ingram. Zion, like only a few other superstars, is a one-man source of offense, guaranteed to create advantages against any defensive scheme.
The Pelicans score seven more points per 100 possessions with Zion than without him, and are a net plus-eight with him on the court. They’re about even when he sits, per pbpstats.
It’s always been natural to compare Zion and Giannis, two non-shooters who rampage in transition and get to the rim constantly. But as Giannis has developed, it’s clear that using him as a screener is one of the best ways to involve him in the offense. In Zion’s case, it’s better to have him face up and handle the ball.
We learned that initially in his excellent 2020-21 season, when then-coach Stan Van Gundy developed Point Zion. Coach Willie Green has made that the foundation of this year’s Pelicans offense. Isolating or posting up Zion is foolproof, as Zion is very efficient in both play types and draws significant help, opening kicks to shooters.
It never made as much sense to use Zion as the roll man in the pick-and-roll. It just wasn’t a guarantee that he’d get the ball on those plays, and his gravity when he’s running to the rim without the ball simply isn’t the same as when he’s dribbling at you. Instead, the Pelicans have had success by simply spacing the floor for Zion, and occasionally setting screens for him (sometimes using small guards to confuse defenses).
Zion’s burst off the dribble is the difference. He’s quicker than most defenders that he faces, as teams have to put bigger guys on him to avoid getting completely flattened. As a result, he gets by his initial defender frequently and draws help. He’s a smart passer who makes quick decisions, and is willing to get off the ball early:
The Jazz double him due to a mismatch, and Zion waits until the second defender gets there before passing to the first open man.
His passes are simple, but effective. He isn’t hesitant about passing the second a defender shifts toward him, especially if the open man is one of the Pelicans’ multiple quick-trigger shooters (CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Devonte’ Graham). Sometimes, those passes start ball movement sequences that get the offense flowing.
Against great teams, those initial passes might be taken away, and the reads will get harder. Zion is a heady player, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts in the spring — he’s never played in the playoffs.
Additionally, smart teams funnel shots to the Pelicans’ lesser shooters. The Bucks, in a win on Monday, helped aggressively off of Jonas Valanciunas, Jose Alvarado, Herb Jones, and Naji Marshall, sticking much closer to Murphy and McCollum. Valanciunas punished them by hitting seven threes, but that won’t happen every night. The Pelicans often close with the more versatile Larry Nance Jr. at center.
As it stands, New Orleans is a half-game back of first place in the incredibly tight Western Conference. A few losses in a row, and they’re suddenly in the play-in game. Their defense, once thought to be a weakness, has been excellent, and they’ll hope to sustain it.
Zion is getting better at being in the right spots on defense, and getting his hands in passing lanes. He is still a liability on that end, and teams put him in screening actions every chance they get. He is very bad at navigating screens, which will likely contribute to the Pelicans leaning into switchable lineups with Nance.
When Ingram returns, the big three will hopefully get a chance to develop chemistry on offense. McCollum seems to be rounding into form; he scored 40 on last night against the Spurs with Zion out. The Pels are flush with trade assets, and could look around for upgrades in the next couple of months.
They’re deep and versatile already. Zion is their engine, hanging out on the outskirts of the crowded MVP conversation, and the Pelicans have stuck their heads into the league’s elite.